The Scales of Justice
by Scorpio-Rat
Summary: After the Phantom Thieves defeated the God of Control, the Metaverse and physical world became a single reality. Life went on as normal. Sae Niijima began a new chapter of her law career as a Defense Attorney. Ominous dreams of a forgotten Palace and constant headaches brings her to Dr. Tae Takemi's clinic. Tokyo has not seen the last of Shadows after all. Continuation of Persona 5
1. Chapter 1

Sae often had dreams of a casino, long after the day Ren Amamiya turned himself in to testify against Masayoshi Shido. Her casino. Brightly lit machines. Flashing neon signs, The clattering of dice and shuffling of cards. The clicking of the roulette wheel as it spun, and a song with a heavy bass that echoed in her ears. The voices were familiar, but distant. She wasn't sure if it counted as a nightmare or not, emotions jumping from proud and arrogant to furious and ashamed. Too blurred for her to process it all. The entire dream was hazy, except for the shadowed figures that hunted her and a burning desire to win. And yet she never felt like much of a victor when she woke up.

But there was work to do, pounding headache or not. It always faded away after an hour or so, but it didn't make for the greatest of moods in the morning. At least she didn't have to work in the SIU building anymore. The memories of last year's events were still fresh there, and she didn't feel much nostalgia for any of her old coworkers. It was still difficult to grasp that the Director was really dead, and Goro Akechi hadn't been spotted in months. It was like he'd truly fallen off the face of the Earth. The public was quick to forget, but the people that actually knew and interacted with him as a person did not.

Perhaps he really was gone, his body trapped in the mind of his megalomaniac Prime Minister of a father. At least Shido was finally paying for his crimes, even if it took an agonizing amount of time and effort to pin them on him. Wrapping up the case was the least she could do for the teenager that had put himself in custody for the sake of justice. It was the first case in a while that felt like it actually stood for something beyond pleasing her boss.

The apartment was nearly silent at 6 AM, which was what she'd come to expect since Makoto didn't have to be awake to catch the subway to school anymore. Sae wasn't in as much of a rush to leave either, since her workload was less intense. She could pick the cases she wanted to take on instead of having files shoved onto her desk with a predetermined deadline attached.

"I need this handled by Monday, Niijima. You can close it by then, right?"

The Director had "faith" in her and was sure he could get her that promotion as long as her assignments were taken care of in a manner that befitted the SIU department's legacy. They never lost a legal battle and it had to stay that way. Looking back on the way he strung her along pissed her off. She didn't even realize the manipulation until she'd left, but it was so obvious now. Dangling the thought of moving up in the ranks so she did what he needed her to do without question, and then the unspoken threat of losing her position if she didn't follow through. He'd slowly but surely been turning her into one of his lackeys. Her morning routine was done on autopilot now, showering and getting dressed as she stewed over the details she ignored for the last few years. The evidence was staggering, but she hadn't wanted to see it until it was nearly too late. Her own perfectionism had driven her to keep going.

Sae found herself at the small dinner table with a cup of coffee, still thinking about her years of work under him while the news played on the television. She didn't pay as much attention to it nowadays, but it was a habit to have something on as white noise.

"Sis…?" She looked up from her mostly empty mug and realized that an hour had passed. Why was she suddenly so hyper-focused on her mistakes today? Going over it all with a fine toothed comb like it was a crime scene, it was ridiculous. The recurring dreams were just knocking her off balance. Makoto watched her from the hall that led to their bedrooms, mostly awake but still in her pajamas. They made a stark contrast to the grey suit Sae had dressed in. It amazed her that her sister could still wear that panda themed shirt even now, but some things in life were constant. The Buchimaru brand was apparently one of those things. "Is everything okay?" she asked. Sae did her best to make a more relaxed expression instead of one that implied she'd been chewing on nails for breakfast. It was nothing, she was working herself up over things that didn't matter anymore.

"I'm fine, I was just looking over some files," she answered, glancing at her open laptop. It was still on the home screen, and she picked a folder at random to open. "I'm surprised you're up. Planning to go somewhere?" Some of the tension between them faded, and Makoto walked into the kitchen and started to cook breakfast. Things were less hostile overall in the apartment. Sae didn't snap at Makoto over academics and the people she spent time with, and her younger sister opened up to her a little more.

"Actually, yes," she said as she pulled out a large frying pan for the eggs. "Haru invited me to look at a cafe building she was thinking of buying to renovate. We're going early to try and dodge the midday Shinjuku crowd."

"Oh, is she trying to add a new Big Bang Burger?" It was still jarring to remember that the corporate giant Okumura Foods was now being mostly controlled by a young woman barely out of high school, but she knew better than to look down on someone's abilities because of their age. Haru never came off as an impulsive decision maker in the few conversations she had with the heiress. Even knowing about her "activities" with the Phantom Thieves, there was always a sort of firm confidence behind her choices, as radical as they might seem. It was difficult not to respect her when Sae had to deal with losing her father early as well, and that was without having a billion dollar legacy to manage afterwards.

"No, I think she wants to open up a tea and coffee shop. Something she could personally oversee." Less money focused, Sae thought. It didn't have to be said that Big Bang Burger was still a little controversial after the now deceased Okumura admitted to his profit increasing labor crimes and corporate sabotage. There'd been attempts at rehabilitating the sub-company's image, but some stains never disappeared. Going in a different direction made sense.

"Did Sojiro give her that idea?" He somehow kept that quiet cafe of his afloat over the years, so he was certainly doing something right.

"Not directly, or at least I don't think he suggested it. Leblanc's atmosphere was just...very inspiring." Makoto placed the eggs on the table and sat down. "That's how she worded it, anyway." After a moment, she noticed the bottle of painkillers on the counter. "Are you still having those headaches?" Sae picked at the eggs with her chopsticks and avoided eye contact.

"...They're not that hard to deal with."

"But it's been at least a few weeks now, shouldn't you make an appointment to look into it?" It wasn't like Makoto's logic wasn't sound, but it still felt like too much effort for a minor problem. She just needed to turn down the brightness of her laptop screen and sleep for another hour, most likely.

"I really don't have time to visit the hospital, I'd have to reschedule too many people. Maybe next week..."

"Sis…" Sae looked up and was caught off guard by how stern Makoto looked. She was still getting used to how stubborn and assertive she could choose to be with certain things. "Please take care of yourself. You said this job was less pressure on you, right? At least go to a clinic." Sae locked eyes with her for a few long seconds, and then sighed.

"After I leave the office today, I'll stop somewhere." Makoto relaxed into her chair and smiled again.

"That sounds fair. Oh, did you want me to pick up anything specific for dinner tonight?" They switched to less important topics until Sae had to leave, and as she rode the subway to the government district where her new office was, her phone buzzed with a text message. She retrieved it from her pants pocket and unlocked the screen, careful not to drop it as the train car jerked around on the tracks.

**Makoto:**

**Ren told me that Dr. Takemi's clinic is fairly slow in the late afternoons. It's not far from the Yogen-Jaya station.**

While she sent a message back, the pair of businessmen standing nearby her continued holding a semi-public conversation. Sae really wasn't into eavesdropping, but it was difficult to tune them out when they weren't even trying to whisper.

"Your brother saw a demon in Shibuya?"

"That's what he claims, but...I think he's just sleep deprived and blacked out on the way home last night. He's been drinking all that canned coffee too, that can't be good for your head," The man in the black and white suit shook his head in disapproval. "Young guys like him are always having crazy dreams like that when the stress sinks in. I don't believe it in the slightest."

"It sounded so vivid though! You know...I've been hearing about people hallucinating all sorts of strange things this last week or two. It's really weird. You think it's a disease spreading?" his friend asked. "What was that one epidemic by the coast called? Apathy Syndrome?"

"Oh come on, you read too much about that occult garbage! That happened almost ten years ago. You're connecting things that are just timely coincidences. People get stressed out and end up with medical issues all the time."

"I mean...I guess you're right." The two men got out of their seats at the next stop, leaving Sae to wonder if there was any substance behind those rumors. And to think that a year ago, she wouldn't have given it a second thought. She couldn't afford to brush off every supernatural claim now that she knew about the Metaverse.

* * *

Her new workplace was a multistory building in Shibuya, owned by a retired attorney that wanted to assist other up and coming lawyers. Kino Law Firm wasn't filled with fresh Bar Exam graduates though. Instead, it had become a sort of congregation of lawyers and attorneys that didn't quite fit into the usual mindset seen in the Japanese court system. Sae technically had enough clout from tying up Shido's case to start her own private business, but financially it would've been very difficult to purchase office space, and working completely from home felt wrong. After all the emotional turmoil generated by the SIU, she wanted to try and keep work and home life somewhat separate. Handling a case or two in her apartment was one thing, but she'd rather have office hours to deal with the majority of clients. Possessing an actual desk and a waiting room to use felt more professional.

The day was slow, with no new clients calling to set up appointments. It gave Sae more than enough time to finish preparing for the two court dates she had coming up, which made her feel less guilty about leaving at 4 in the afternoon to visit Yongen-Jaya. The backalleys where LeBlanc did business were within easy walking distance of the subway stop. It was only when she checked the address Makoto forwarded her that she realized that she'd never actually seen Tae Takemi's clinic before. She only really met the woman a few times in passing, and that was monopolized by their discussions about the Phantom Thieves, Ren's physical condition after his interrogation, and asking questions to build a case for wiping his criminal records. Sae knew the general milestones of her medical career, but nothing personal that wasn't already public knowledge. She was curious to see the kind of clinic an unorthodox woman like her ran. How many doctors dressed like they were going to a punk rock event when they were off duty, especially one that was touted as a Research and Development prodigy? Or maybe she was just used to the majority of the world carefully crafting a "respectable" appearance for the public, even when they were clocked out.

It was hard to not feel at least a little out of place as she navigated the quiet residential area. Maybe she should've gone home and changed clothes, but that felt like too much of a waste of time. After wandering by a small grocery store, an antique shop, and an old movie theater, Sae located the clinic. She could see why people called her a back alley doctor now. It felt more like she'd found the stairway to a hole in the wall bar or club.

The clinic was… not exactly what she expected, but not off-putting. The first thing she noticed upon entering the waiting room was the faint music playing. Heavy metal. Despite the polite volume the radio was at, the song was still distinct enough to be recognizable. Something that was popular a few years ago, she recalled. The rest of the room was rather plain. Chairs pushed up against a wall, a bulletin board with flyers pinned up. A few posters promoting good health practices were scattered around, though they had a darker sort of humor that might not put someone at ease if they weren't used to it.

And behind the window to the sign in area was Dr. Takemi, flipping through a medical research magazine as she reclined in a cheap rolling chair. It was a precarious position, but upon taking a few steps further into the room, Sae could see that she was leaning against a file cabinet. What made her stare for a few seconds too long was her attire. Besides the white coat, it looked just about as casual as every other outfit that Sae had seen her in. A tight fitting dark grey dress that only reached her mid thighs, along with a red belt. She had to admit that the high heels were impressive though.

"Can I help you…?" Takemi's voice pulled her attention away from the spiked choker she was studying, and Sae fell back into a more professional attitude.

"I'd hope so," she answered. "I wanted to see if there was any space left in your schedule today." Takemi set her magazine down on her desk and glanced up at Sae. The way she smiled was less disarming and more like she was enjoying a private joke. Sae never knew what to make of it.

"Ah, Miss Niijima. Are you looking for another interview with me? I would've thought that you'd have enough information from me after our last meeting." Sae could tell that Takemi wasn't actually concerned. It was a rare sight to see her off guard or hurried. "Or is this a pleasure visit?"

"It's neither today. I was...inquiring about an appointment for myself." She couldn't quite look at Takemi as she spoke, instead fixating on a nearby clock. "Amamiya thought that you'd have time today and recommended I try here first." She had no issues with doctor visits, but the ones she scheduled in advance weren't as personal as this felt. It was ridiculous of her to think like this. Takemi was a professional and they were acquaintances at best. There was nothing strange about her request.

"Oh, is my old assistant advertising for me now? How cute. Well then…" Takemi sat up straighter to pull out a clipboard from her desk drawer and attached a sheet to it, along with a pen. "I'll need you to fill out this form for me, and then we'll move to the examination room." Her tone switched to something clipped and professional, and Sae could only blink and take the sheet from her as she processed the change. Everyone had a professional side, but Sae did wonder exactly how much of this was manufactured to appear serious compared to Takemi's earlier behavior. Perhaps they were both real, or the laid back attitude was the true facade. Finishing medical school required intense focus and dedication, after all. "Is there an issue?" Takemi asked, typing away at her desktop. "I may not be busy today, but I'd still like to close at six-thirty...if you don't mind, that is." Sae caught the slight twitch of her lips, the only break in her stony demeanor, and then she busied herself with the form.

"Right, I'll try not to take too long."

* * *

"Your symptoms are chronic headaches and frequently interrupted sleep," Takemi said, checking her notes over. The examination room was smaller, but none of the equipment looked old or not taken care of. Her desk was cluttered with files organized around another computer, which had Sae's older medical records pulled up on it, and a small fridge was tucked into a corner, labeled as a cooler for "samples". Whether it was for holding drugs or patient samples was unclear. Sae didn't feel inclined to ask for clarification as she sat on the paper lined table, waiting for a verdict. Her jacket and shoes were off, but nothing else had to be removed to perform the basic tests. The shoes had been more for courtesy than anything else. "Is there something I'm missing?"

"...No, that's it." The dreams weren't something that needed to be brought up. The important part was that they kept waking her up at inconvenient hours.

"Well, unless you've had very minor recent head trauma, you're fine physically. There's nothing wrong with you that I can see...unless I start drawing blood to test. Haven't used the centrifuge in a while…" Takemi tapped her pen against the clipboard as she thought, her red nails reflecting the fluorescent ceiling lights. Sae shifted on the table lining, crinkling it. Takemi didn't react.

"Are you sure that's necessary…?" Sae asked, breaking the strange silence.

"What, not a fan of needles?" Her offense must have been more obvious than she thought it was, because Takemi chuckled and set the clipboard down. "Relax. No, I don't think I need blood samples. You're just under stress."

"Oh…" So it was nothing, like she thought it was. No illness to blame. It was relieving to know that she didn't have to take work off so soon after starting.

"Hey, that doesn't mean you're off the hook." Sae paused after standing up from the table, in the middle of grabbing her jacket. "I'm not a psychologist, so I'm not going to tell you that you're making bad life choices or whatever they say to people, but I can at least recommend that you lower your caffeine intake. Too much in your system at a time will disrupt your sleep patterns." Takemi wheeled her chair over to the fridge and opened it, revealing vials of liquid and organized pill bottles. She frowned and closed it again, reaching for the cabinet above it instead. She pulled out a disc shaped pill container and checked the label before moving back to her computer to type something.

"Medication?" Sae stared at the pills. They were fairly small, but why did she even need them if she wasn't sick?

"Just sleep aides, nothing exciting," Takemi said, closing the file. "I'd write a prescription down but...I distribute it, so there's no point. Just take one pill about an hour before the time you tend to go to bed. The more consistent you are with your schedule, the more effective they'll be. It should keep you from repeatedly waking up." Sae picked up the disc.

"And how long should I be taking these?"

"That's a fourteen day supply, but I'd like to meet you again next week..." Sae raised a brow at her, and Takemi tilted her head slightly, though she was still as unshaken as usual. "I want to see if they're working correctly. Medications affect different people in different ways. Men and women and certain age groups are the most drastic when it comes to how drugs can vary. I like to adjust them as they're being taken to ensure they're effective." Sae accepted her reasoning, seeing as she couldn't find any flaws in her logic.

"I'll make an appointment, then."

"Good, I thought I'd have to come up with an entire defense to persuade you. You've saved me a second speech." Takemi was definitely smiling now, even as Sae shook her head at such an obvious law pun.

Before she left the clinic, the doctor handed her a card with what she assumed was the building's phone number.

"Call whenever you want and I'll fit you in my schedule," Takemi said. "Just not...at five in the morning or something. I will not pick up before the sun rises." By the exhausted look in her eyes, Sae had a feeling that had happened to her before. She nodded and tucked the card away in her jacket pocket.

"Thank you for seeing me on such short notice, Doctor." Takemi appeared stunned for a second, but then her hands were back in her coat pockets as she untensed.

"So formal," she said, smiling again. "I didn't do that much. Just make sure to actually follow my instructions, including the caffeine part." Sae almost winced at the thought of limiting her coffee intake, but she wasn't going to disregard Takemi's words over a craving. She had self-restraint. "Have a good evening, Miss Niijima." The door closed, cutting off the faint music that had switched to something that fit the rock genre. Sae tucked the paper bag with her medication into her purse and headed back down to the subway station. It wouldn't take too long to reach her apartment from here, and Makoto had messaged her about preparing dinner. There wasn't a need for her to pick anything up on the way. Instead, her thoughts drifted back to the clinic.

Tae Takemi was...very difficult to get a read on. It bothered her. She was so used to being able to dismantle people with her eyes to figure out how they thought in the courtroom, and yet she didn't know where to start here. As unconcerned as the doctor seemed, she didn't actually reveal much about herself on a personal level. Her office had no photographs, and as far as she could tell, no one else even worked there after Ren left. There was nothing much to focus on beyond her music and clothing taste. And her humor, maybe. The punk aesthetic was an interesting choice, but there was no evidence that it was genuine. Though the eyeshadow wasn't exactly working against her… As jarring as it was for a doctor's outfit, Takemi wore it all well. It was out of place, yet completely fitting on a more personal level. And once she was in the exam room, Sae felt like she was in any other office. There wasn't a lack of care or knowledge. If anything, Takemi was able to get more out of a mostly unintrusive physical check than others would gain from a thorough one. Sae could appreciate not wasting time and effort.

Now that she thought of the doctor's past, it was somewhat like Sae's on the surface. Considered a prodigy both in high school and in university, and then joining a highly competitive field of work at a young age. Two male dominated professions that were hard to survive in if you weren't willing to endure hard times and very little rest. But besides that, Sae didn't have much in common with Takemi. They had nearly opposing approaches to their jobs. Takemi didn't seem to care how she presented or conducted herself as long as her patients were taken care of and her results were good. Ignoring the medical error that had been removed from her record, she had accomplished quite a few things in less than ten years. Sae would rather act by the book when it came to being a lawyer, as a way to gain the respect of her equals and superiors even before they saw her work ethic. She wanted no doubt in their minds that she was more than capable of handling herself. Every case she was given was a new chance to prove her abilities...and a new chance to fail, but she'd been trying not to focus on the two binaries of winning and losing. It was about being a competent defense attorney now. One that didn't give up on cases until every avenue was explored.

* * *

The subway pulled into Shibuya Station, and Sae followed the crowd up the stairs to reach the streets. Night was falling, and the streetlights began to turn on. Bars, electronics shops, and convenience stores glowed neon on the short walk to her building. The doorman greeted her as she passed, and Sae took a moment to return it before taking the elevator up. There were times last year that she'd barely glanced at the people she crossed paths with every day, and now she felt almost guilty about it. Not in a crushing way, but it was enough to make her to slow down and attempt to pay more attention. The surprised reactions she received for what she considered basic polite conversations made her wonder just how in her own head she'd been before. Surely she hadn't been that bad. Her dreams came back to mind, and she decided to be a little more honest. She'd been rather callous and impatient in general, and Makoto had taken the brunt of that a few times.

There was no answer when she used the doorbell, and she was greeted by the scent of fish as soon as she unlocked the door. It was followed by Makoto's voice welcoming her back home from the kitchen a few seconds later.

"Sorry, I didn't want to leave the frying pan unattended," she said, walking out into the living room. There were still a few bits of flour staining her jean pants, but she managed to keep her white blouse clean. The television was playing an old rerun of a cartoon, and Makoto changed the channel to a news station. "Did everything go alright?" Sae took a moment to set her bag down on a table and retrieved the pill container, but she could tell Makoto was staring at it.

"Like I said this morning, it was nothing," Sae explained. "These are just sleeping pills." Though she did wonder what she was even stressed out about. After closing Shido's case, she had much less to do in general, Was it just the change in job? That didn't seem right. Or was it more of a fear of where this path would take her? Sae was confident enough about the decision to leave the SIU, but now that she was abandoning the ladder she'd been so determined to climb, everything was much less predictable. There was no complex plan to gain rank and prestige, or a certain job title. Sae was a private criminal defense attorney, taking whatever cases felt right to her. How things would progress from there was a mystery, and while that was freeing, it also felt like she was too exposed now. Was that what kept her up at night?

"Oh. Well, I'm glad you're not coming down with something," Makoto said, before going back to the stove. "I'm almost finished with dinner, just need a few more minutes…" How was she so sincere after everything that happened between them over the Phantom Thieves incidents? Sae always expected some show of bitterness to come out, but it never happened. Was she just hiding it, or did she really forgive her already? She couldn't bring herself to ask directly yet, but it was impossible to keep that up forever. Instead of entertaining that uncomfortable thought, she headed to her room and changed out of her suit.

"You made horse mackerel, didn't you?" Sae asked a few minutes later, raising her voice enough to reach the kitchen. She could imagine her sister's shoulders stiffen as she stopped in place.

"Er, yes! But it was on sale last week and I froze it and didn't want to forget we had it, so…" Sae smile at the excuse. It sounded like something Makoto would do and then get nervous over. She came back to the kitchen and started setting the table.

"That's alright, I don't mind. You were in charge of dinner, after all." Makoto seemed to calm down. Sae wasn't going to start something over her wanting a favorite food. "...Even if we did just have it two weeks ago."

"Sis!" Makoto whined as she shut the stove off. "I don't make it that often…"

"Right, I'm sorry," she said. "How was Shinjuku, by the way?" Makoto put aside the teasing to talk about the street corner Haru had been looking at, going into details about the cafe plans as they ate. It still felt strange that they could even have conversations like this anymore. Sae didn't think they'd ever get back to how things were before their father died, but maybe they could at least begin to move past it now.

* * *

**AN:** This is an idea I had sitting around for a long while and I finally decided to piece together a somewhat cohesive plot for NaNoWriMo. It was meant to be a more straightforward Sae/Takemi thing, but it became more complex as I threw in the original Shadow plot. There's going to be a lot more characters involved than I first planned, both canon and OC (because it makes no sense for the adult characters to only interact with the Phantom Thieves, sorry...), so I'm trying to keep it mostly in the perspectives of Sae and Takemi to keep the whole thing from going off the rails. There's still going to be a lot of focus placed on their changing relationship, but I'm taking my time getting there. I guess it's sort of a...medium-burn romance? I have a small backlog of chapters at the moment and I'll try to pace myself so I have some breathing room as I put them up.


	2. Chapter 2

It was around nine at night when she used the first pill. What was she meant to expect from it? Was she supposed to feel it working? Sae had never taken sleeping aides before. Takemi was evidently very accurate with her estimated timing, because an hour later, she had to fight to stay up long enough to prepare for bed. After checking to make sure all the lights were off (except for the hallway one that Makoto insisted on), she closed the door to her room and passed out less than a minute later. It was like she'd closed her eyes to blink, and then her alarm woke her up. A little jarring, but effective. Sae found the phone on her nightstand and tapped it to stop the noise.

"Maybe 45 minutes before ten would be better…" she mumbled, still recovering from how hard she slept. There were no dreams that she could remember though. It'd been eight hours of uninterrupted rest, to her quiet amazement. The doctor's reputation was definitely earned when it came to the creation of her own drugs. It was similar to how people described being blackout drunk was, but Sae didn't want to be picky about the methodology..

She brewed a pot of coffee, but stopped herself before pouring a cup. Less caffeine, Takemi had said. She needed to cut something out somewhere. Sae watched the coffee machine as she thought about it, and then grabbed a thermos and filled that instead. No more coffee at home, she had to save it for the office instead of making more when she arrived. That was at least one less cup there. She'd figure out the rest of her day after lunch.

Work only had a single interruption in the form of a call from a potential client, but that was settled quickly enough and she was ahead of the rest of her paperwork. There was no rush to complete anything else this week, and she left on time to catch the subway to another part of Shibuya where her gym was.

Since last spring, she'd been taking kickboxing classes three times a week. It was a way to ensure that her desk work didn't lead to her being out of shape. It also happened to be a very direct manner of blowing off steam after dealing with her increasingly antagonistic boss and rising pressure of her court cases. Her instructor, Kazuma Kuroda, wasn't overbearing or too stuck in martial art traditions either.

Kazuma ran the Koryu Gym, an establishment that housed teachers of multiple martial arts, both old and newer forms. He personally oversaw the kickboxing and basic self defense classes. The building itself was styled to resemble a traditional dojo, with special matted flooring and wooden wall panels with sliding doors. The roof was tiled with shingles that looked like they were imported from an old-fashioned house in Kyoto. Only the front doors were modern, installed with heavy internal locks to keep the equipment safe after hours.

Beyond the historical aesthetic, they had newer workout machines in a back room and metal combination lockers in the changing areas to store valuables. They were all marked with small, white printed labels that were easily removed later. Sae unlocked her own to retrieve her white gi and blue belt, and then pulled her hair into a ponytail. The rest of the class was in one of the larger training rooms, waiting until Kazuma-sensei came out of his office.

Kazuma himself was six feet tall, a solid head above Sae, with well defined muscles and sun tanned skin that suggested that he'd worked outside for a good chunk of his life. She assumed he was close to 40. None of the students knew for sure though, and no one really asked him questions about his personal life. He wasn't a cruel teacher, but his demeanor was enough to make people shy away from crossing a line with him. He was there to direct them, and they were there to learn. Anything else was uncharted waters. His black hair was short, but he kept it combed back in a neat manner and it barely came out of place even as he demonstrated techniques. He had a shadow of a beard that mostly lined his jaw, with a little more stubble around his chin. His face reminded her of the worn down Buddhist temple statues that people prayed to for protection. Lined and harsh, with a piercing gaze that judged you beneath your skin. Some claimed to see a splash of faded color on his back when he took his jacket off, but no one could confirm whether it was a tattoo or not. Even if it was, that didn't mean much. Tattoos were becoming more acceptable now, especially if they weren't completely exposed to the public. He could have gotten it recently. No one dared to accuse him of being a criminal of any sort either.

After nearly a full year at the gym, Sae was far ahead in the kickboxing class belt rankings. She already had a black belt in kung fu from her highschool days, and this martial art would be no different. Even if Sae had no intentions of competing, not reaching the highest level possible felt like she was slacking off. She liked having tangible goals in life. The rest of the 5:30 PM class were varied stages behind her, so she often trained off to the side until Kazuma-sensei was done giving them basic instructions. Before that were the warm-up exercises, sets of stretches, pushups, and situps. Today, he went straight from warm-ups to assigning repetitive drills. After most of the students partnered up and began their 50 kicks and punches, he approached the corner she was in.

"Continue with the combos from last session," he said, strapping on a set of padded arm guards. His voice was deep and rough, but he didn't raise it unless he needed the group's full attention. "Elbow and knee strikes. Keep repeating until I stop you." She grunted an affirmative, and he fell into a more grounded position, arms lifted to catch her strikes. It was a brutal ten minutes of working on the combo until he was satisfied with her technique, and he only stopped to get the other students to work on another kind of punch. Then he switched her to mid range punch and kick strings.

"In a couple of weeks, I'll have a more suitable sparring partner for you," he said, after giving her a ten minute break. She looked up from her water bottle as she recalled his earlier plans. He'd been talking about finding someone other than himself to work with her while he got the rest of the group up to speed.

"Another teacher?" she asked. There were a few people here that would be good opponents, even if they focused on different fighting styles. She'd caught glimpses of them in between her own visits.

"No, a student that joined recently. Her main focus is Jeet Kune Do, but she adapts fast."

"If you say she'd be a good partner, then I believe you. I suppose I'll have to bring my full sparring gear from home." She didn't keep the tank top and shorts she used for actual matches here, since she never intended to take challenges or enter tournaments.

"She came from one of those small rural towns through a job transfer. Said that once she had a permanent schedule, she'd train with you. I'll get in contact when I figure out a good time to meet." Someone from out in the country? There were a few old martial arts schools still up and running across Japan. Now she was curious to see how she'd fare against Kazuma-sensei's mystery student.

"I'm looking forward to it." There were few things that made her genuinely smile, but having an unknown challenge was one of them. That had always been true, even before she got into law school and the courtroom.

* * *

The next night was just as dreamless. Sae didn't notice how much sleep she'd been losing until she gained it back, and now she appreciated that time she used to consider almost a waste of hours. She had adjusted to functioning on minimum rest, but now she wasn't in a haze for most of the early morning. It made the whole day feel longer.

"Didn't see you in the breakroom at all today, Niijima. What's up with that?" She pulled her eyes away from the requested police report in her email to look at a young man leaning against her office door frame. Hayate Soma was one of Kino Law Firm's legal interns. It was rare for university students to choose this office, but some were drawn to Mr. Kino's philosophies. It wouldn't surprise her if many up and coming lawyers of the newer generation were tired of the current system and wanted to find ways to change it for the better. Hayate was one of them, and Sae used his presence to motivate herself to try harder this time to not lose sight of what really mattered. It didn't help that he reminded her a little too much of Akechi. His hair was a few shades darker and cut shorter, and his eyes were blue, but the way he analyzed case files and came at problems from odd angles was uncanny. They even dressed similarly, though a white collared shirt and tie with long slacks wasn't uncommon in an office.

"I have my own coffee, that's all," she said.

"...Well that's new." He pushed off the doorframe and took a few steps in, hands in his pockets to appear disinterested. If he truly didn't want to be here, he'd be in his own office area. "Is the coffee here bad, or did everyone piss you off yesterday?"

"What, are you out of errands to run? Because I have some files I would appreciate being faxed." Hayate sucked in a breath through his teeth and looked away.

"N-no, I was just wondering. Kinda stood out, that's all." He held up a stack of legal papers. "Boss wants me to summarize this door-stopper by the weekend, so I'm taking a break before I lose the rest of this day." Ah, so he wanted a resisted rolling her eyes at him.

"...If you must know, I'm attempting not to have multiple cups of coffee while I'm here." she said as she went back to the report. It was an assault charge filed outside the client's house, and so far it was a fairly open and shut case of self-defense. But if it got to the point of needing a defense attorney, the opposing prosecutor must have something to use against the client that she hadn't noticed yet.

"...I think I'd die if I tried that, good luck." It was almost inevitable in college. You either grew dependant on coffee or found an alternative way to stay awake in between assignments. Hayate's poison of choice was caffeine too.

"Before you lock yourself away until the building closes, do you mind looking at something?" Sae turned the monitor around to face him, and his eyes lit up, though he was careful not to look too enthusiastic. As immature as he acted at age 22, Hayate had an eye for detail and a comprehensive understanding of Tokyo laws. He memorized so much of it that he sometimes forced her to look up references to keep up with his train of thought. She could tell he had raw talent, and so could everyone else that worked with him.

"If you really want the second opinion of someone that's studying civil cases…" he said, walking over to her desk. He pulled out a set of gray framed glasses before he skimmed the report. "Weird that this guy's getting charged at all, but that's the kind of thing that happens when the other side has a lot of cash to toss around. Some prosecutors will argue that the sky isn't blue for a big enough paycheck. What a waste of city funds, dragging this into a courtroom…" He glanced back at her. "You're gonna take this client anyway, huh?"

"It's clear enough that he's in the right, and an expensive lawyer looking for loopholes to abuse isn't enough to deter me."

"Oh right, you were a prosecutor before you got here. I guess you know all the tricks." The tricks and the mindset required to fight for something you might not even believe in.

"...Not quite, but there's only so many arguments that you can make in this scenario." She pulled up a blank page to type on. "Unless you can think of another one." He grinned and grabbed a chair for himself

"A couple of them, maybe." They spent the next hour debating different points and the merits of pulling together counterarguments for them.

* * *

There was nothing on her schedule after work, and Sae only stopped to purchase a small platter of sushi for dinner before returning home. The convenience store down the street had saved them more than once when she or Makoto didn't have time to make anything or the fridge wasn't stocked. It wasn't the most healthy option, but better than going straight to fast food. The rest of the evening was uneventful, besides Makoto telling her that Ren was moving back to Yongen-Jaya in the fall. It was hard to miss the underlying hope in her sister's voice as she explained how he convinced his parents to let him live with Sojiro Sakura for another year. She wasn't...entirely sure how close Makoto was with Ren beyond Phantom Thief activities, but now she wondered if there was something beyond friendship. It didn't seem right to end the night with an interrogation, even if she did it as a joke, so Sae let her go on without interruption. Ren wasn't that terrible of a choice anyway.

Sometime after falling asleep, she was jolted out of the darkness of her bedroom by pounding, warped music. The song was back. She never heard it anywhere else but in her dreams It felt sinister, like it was haunting her. Or was it trying to persuade her? The words weren't clear, even as it echoed from every angle. Her eyes adjusted to the harsh lights, and she was in...a casino. The crash of tokens piling into a metal tray as they were dispensed, the bright red and green carpets, the shine of the elegant lighting reflecting off of silver and gold slot machines, the constant flashing screens and ringing bells that drew new players in like moths to a candle. The faint smell of mixed drinks in the air from a nearby bar. It was all so real, and yet she was frozen in place, unwilling to accept it.

"_**...To win it," **_The song was clear now as it reached a sort of crescendo, and a rock settled in her stomach.

"_**Or maybe lose it all."**_

"_**Who knows where the whims of fate may lead us."**_

It was all wrong. She hated it, and she needed to leave, but her legs refused to move. The crowds of people in suits and cocktail dresses ignored her, yet she still felt exposed, like they were all staring.

"_You've returned."_ Whatever was holding her hostage released its grip, and Sae turned to face the voice. The voice she realized was her own just a few seconds too late. It was her, in one of the business suits she wore back when she worked at the SIU, but her eyeliner was too thick and her irises were a bright, painful yellow. "_You're trying so hard to resist, but why?"_

"I…" Sae swallowed and forced herself to look directly at the distorted copy. Or was it more like a funhouse mirror? A reflection of her soul. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"_You cannot live like this, running from confrontations. Emotions you're afraid to have. The truth."_

"But I'm not," she insisted, standing up a little taller. Why was she even taking this so personally? This was just a nightmare, and she was acting defensive. She was giving it more ammo to attack her with. She wouldn't let herself be intimidated like this. "I'm a different person now, aren't I? I'm not just following someone's directions."

"_You've left your old path but you're not committed to a new one yet. Not completely. You can't yet, can you?"_ The yellow eyed Sae stepped forward and grabbed her by the collar of her undershirt, and it felt like her head was trapped in a vice. The copy was still speaking to her, but she couldn't hear it over the overlapping voices monopolizing her thoughts. Memories were dragged up from the depths of her mind, brought to the forefront again. So many conversations she had almost forgotten.

The way her eyes burned as she attended the funeral. Both funerals. They meshed together until it was hard to tell where one ended and the other began. A snapshot of the one old photo she kept of her did she have to see this? It was over with, and she had to grow up and move on. She thought she already did. The copy pulled her closer while she was focused on the pain, and the rush of images and feelings intensified. Shujin Academy, almost a decade ago. Back when all she worried about were grades and student council duties and if her father burned the rice again trying to cook and read one of his police manuals at the same time. And sometimes zoning out in the middle of history class to wonder if the star of the girl's volleyball team would mind helping to set up the sports festival if she asked-

Sae clawed at the arm holding her in place, face flushed even as her jaw clenched with the effort of fighting back.

"Get off me…" It came out as less of an intimidating growl and more like pleading, to her annoyance. She tried to pry the fingers away from her shirt, tuning out everything else. It was like trying to concentrate next to a giant speaker.

"_We're not done yet. I can't leave you be until you start making choices,"_ it whispered, locking eyes with her. "_Taking risks. I thought we liked gambling?"_

* * *

Sae woke up with a shuddering inhale. The clock on the nightstand read that she had only a few more minutes of sleep left before her alarm went off, and her legs were entangled with her sheets, like she'd been kicking or flailing. She sat up and waited for her breathing to even out, and then sighed. Despite technically not waking up for eight hours, she felt like she'd only gotten about half that time. The details of her dreams were hazier now that she was free of it, but it seemed to stretch on forever. How comforting to know that she couldn't even escape whatever it was by scaring herself awake. She was stuck until her medicine wore off.

"That was a nice two days while they lasted..." Tired or not, it wasn't close to the weekend yet. She'd have to tell Dr. Takemi about this next week. Or at least figure out a way to tell her without sounding like she had a tenuous grip on reality. Sae forced herself out of bed and hoped that a shower would at least wake her up enough to be presentable to others. She had to get herself together for the court dates next week.

* * *

**AN:** A little shorter in words, but I wanted a breather chapter to set up a few things for later. I wanted to get Takemi's part in here too but it felt like it would read better if I started a chapter with her instead of ending it. I'm not going to promise weekly updates, I'm just posting as I finish later chapters and edit earlier ones, whatever that pace may be.


	3. Chapter 3

Tae Takemi had yet to regret her decision to keep her medical clinic open after taking that hospital research position. If most people asked why, she'd say it was because of the convenient apartment on the floor above it. Moving was a big hassle and she was too lazy to get a new place. But even if she would never outright admit it, she would miss the daily visits from her patients in the neighborhood, talking about their families or dropping off little gifts she never asked for. As annoying as she first thought it was to get stopped walking down the street because someone actually wanted to speak with her, it did make her feel more welcome. Less like the Plague that her old supervisor labeled her as. Like she could scrape together a life that was more than going from home to her desperate pet project and back again. A little spark of hope before it was almost crushed again. And now she...actually had a rising career? It was surreal, but her unassuming little guinea pig had done whatever the Phantom Thieves did and her reputation was back out of the mud. Like magic.

Maybe it was magic, thinking back on Christmas Eve. The red rain, the giant bones growing all over the city, people screaming and melting away, and… it was like a fading dream, but no one else acted as if they remembered any of it. Takemi wasn't going to ask around about a near apocalypse just to sate her curiosity, or at least not to strangers. She did write down as many details of the event as she could in case she needed them again, not trusting herself to retain it all.

Well, she bet Ren's gang of...rebels? She bet they remembered it. And so did Sae Niijima, she learned later while she was being questioned over her involvement with the Phantom Thieves. She wasn't sure why she brought it up at all, but Niijima was pushing for details on Ren's behavior to build a case for his release, and mentioning the time he might have played a part in saving them from whatever hell had almost consumed them all seemed like the right thing to do. Takemi knew that wasn't something that could be handed to a court verbatim and treated seriously, but Niijima was smart enough to rephrase it, or she assumed so. It was the fact that the lawyer hadn't even pretended to be surprised by the statement that caught her eye. She clearly knew some things that Takemi was unaware of. She was a little jealous that Niijima had more details on what exactly the Phantom Thieves were or what they stole, but wasn't that the job of someone investigating them?

Sae Niijima made her curious, even after she put aside her desire to learn more about the events that dominated the news last year. More accurately, Takemi was _interested_ in her. That wasn't uncommon though. Before her university years turned rigorous, she did date people. Well...dating wasn't the right word. It wasn't quite sleeping around either. People drew her in, be it their looks or personality or their passion, and they met up a few times. And then she had an idea or theory she wanted to test out and disappeared into the labs for a week without a word. It turned out that her behavior came off as thoughtless or rude, and they were right to feel that way. She was not a social person and would not pretend to be. She didn't need constant interaction to survive. And while she was mature enough now to not accidentally string people along until her next shut-in phase, she still didn't consider herself "relationship material". Because relationships that mattered were based on deeper connections, and her career as a doctor was almost always first in her mind. If someone made her choose between work and them, she'd always choose the former, as offended as they might be. If they couldn't take that news well, then there was no point in continuing with them. That's just a part of who she was.

Takemi had no desire to spill her thoughts to people without some heavy consideration. While she could hold a conversation well enough with anyone if she had to, there were very few friends she could name. People she didn't just make concerning jokes to or treat on a regular basis. Talking about herself was difficult. And also a little depressing at times. Being pitied felt strange.

And she was fairly certain that Niijima didn't know how to pity someone even if they begged her for it. Takemi could respect that kind of mindset. Blunt and honest. Someone that could cross-analyze you with only their eyes and pick apart your words to find the meaning underneath them. Was that a thing all people in law school learned to do, or was that just her? Or Takemi was just weak when it came to that attitude. That was also a possible answer for her recent fixation. She wasn't afraid to call herself out. She thought Niijima was attractive.

Didn't mean she was going to do anything about it, but Takemi could appreciate her from a polite distance. Like how the little signs in the museums warned people not to touch the exhibits so they didn't ruin anything expensive. There was a massive difference between liking someone on a surface level and being willing to take the plunge, and she hadn't actively tried to go further than teasing in years. She liked it that way.

But she was still thinking of that visit from a couple days ago. It amazed Takemi that someone so sharp when it came to facts and evidence could be so... not dense, but oblivious to the nuances of speaking with people outside of a job. Or maybe she just didn't react well to humor? Was she so serious that she didn't know how to _not _be serious? It was fun to contemplate. Takemi did have enough professionalism in her to not say anything too over the line, though she was very tempted just to see the reaction she'd get. Maybe if they weren't in her office… Takemi frowned and grabbed the remote, turning the living room television on. That was a dangerous thought she almost had.

She curled up a little more on her small sofa, watching the local news drone on with her knees tucked almost underneath her chin. She'd ditched her work clothes hours ago after she locked up downstairs, and was now wasting time in an old band t-shirt and shorts until she felt tired enough to give in and go to bed. Was it hypocritical for her to not have a better personal schedule? Yeah, probably. But she was always more of a night person, and working from nine in the morning to six in the evening took its toll. She just slept whenever. Sometimes she slept during her "lunch break" if she was really out of it. As annoying as it was to screw up her internal clock, she did value helping people enough to deal with it. The eyeliner and eyeshadow helped make her tiredness less noticeable, but she was always a little lethargic when the sun was up. That was what energy shots were for.

Takemi yawned as the news switched from next week's weather to a different story, and then woke up a little more as she caught the words scrolling at the bottom of the screen. Three people hospitalized with mysterious injuries after claiming to see demonic visions.

"...That's new," she said, studying the headliner.

"There have been multiple claims of demons appearing over the last few weeks by Tokyo citizens, but they were dismissed as heresy or the result of sleep deprivation until now," the reporter continued. "As of yesterday night, there have now been three confirmed assault victims. Their injuries aren't major, but this is a disturbing trend. Although the Tokyo Police Department has no suspects under investigation at the moment, they advise that people do not travel alone or loiter on empty streets after dark as a safety precaution. Please try to take a car or the subway system directly to your destination until there's further info."

That was probably less to prevent another incident and more to narrow down potential culprits. If someone was theoretically assaulting people, they'd stand out more if the crowds were smaller.

"There's no confirmation of a direct link between these visions and being attacked, but if you or someone you know are experiencing chronic headaches, increased daydreaming, and seeing things that may not be real, please visit a doctor." And now she was curious. Against what was probably her better judgement, Takemi stood up and retrieved her laptop from the side table. After it finished powering on, she logged into the clinic's database of patients. How many of them had come in for those symptoms? It didn't take much effort to search by keyword, and she had a small list compiled in less than a few minutes. The amount of people complaining of headaches weren't high, but still more than she expected.

"...This has to be a coincidence." After staring at the list a little while longer, she switched to the much larger hospital database and started a new search. Headaches, hallucinations, exhaustion. 400 results within the last month. Her eyebrows rose. "But why? Is it the season change? No, it's not even September yet." There had to be a meaning behind this, it was too large to be sheer luck anymore. And she wanted to figure it out, preferably before it turned into an epidemic. The last thing anyone needed was another Mental Shutdown-level issue.

* * *

The shower didn't help Sae beyond making her look a little less like she just ran a hard mile before breakfast. She was awake, but it was as if a part of her of her was still in the casino, trapped by the creature wearing her face. Those yellow eyes felt empty, and yet they saw through her like she was made of glass. Nothing was hidden. Every single thought she never acted upon was exposed.

_"Have you forgotten already?"_ The voice was so clear, but when she jolted to sit up straighter in her office chair, no one was in the room with her. The door was closed. _"About Shadows, I mean,"_ it said, echoing in her mind. Her Shadow, that's what attacked her. She remembered the long explanations of how the Metaverse and Personas and heart stealing worked, and Shadows came up frequently. She hadn't had to think about the term in a few months now, but it was coming back to her now. The Shadow was supposed to be her, in a way. But this wasn't right. She wasn't in the Metaverse, so why did it even exist? And why was it trying to speak with her?

"This is all in my head. I don't have time for this." Sae leaned a little more into her work. It unfortunately did not deter the voice from continuing. She frowned and wondered if she should just give up and go home early if this was going to happen the entire day. She'd rather not waste all that time because of...herself, technically.

_"Always too busy. Just because it's in your head doesn't mean it's not real,"_ her Shadow said. "_You should know that a weak mindset makes a weak person under pressure, and confidence sometimes takes you even farther than skill. Reality is more malleable than you would like to admit." _Sae's typing slowed. _"That's what we used to do in the courtroom. We decided who was guilty or innocent, not "reality". The truth only has power if the rest of the world acknowledges it."_

"What exactly is your point?"

_"...Nothing, I believed that we could stand to broaden our perspective on how the world works, that's all. We have to understand it before we can ever hope to change this society for the better. That's what you want to do, right?" _It was such a broad goal, so broad that it sounded close to meaningless. She wanted to be a lawyer to ensure that those who were guilty of crimes didn't slip away unpunished, but now...she was defending people she believed were innocent. She switched sides in a way, but was that really changing society? Considering the way that japanese court system was structured, everything was weighted in favor of the prosecutor once a case was filed. People with money and prestige could avoid the court entirely by leveraging their societal power. It pissed her off, but what was she going to do about it? It felt like she was back at square one again.

"...I have actual work to do, you know?" she said under her breath.

_"I thought you promised those children that you were going to handle things for them. Or are you just going to backslide again?"_ Sae let out a hard sigh and held her head in her hands just as someone opened the door.

"Hey, I was about to get lunch. Did you want"- Hayate stopped. "Uh...am I interrupting something?" Her Shadow was finally silent, even if it was only temporary. Sae stood up from her desk and tried to smile. It wasn't a particularly good one, but Hayate seemed to buy it.

"No, it's fine. A client was being difficult." She picked up her bag and rested it on her shoulder. "I'll come with you. Just give me a few minutes."

"Yeah, sure!" Hayate said, before he left again, most likely waiting in the lobby. Was the prospect of having lunch with her that distracting? She wasn't going to complain if it gave her time to pull herself together. She only went to the restroom to wash her face off, but as she turned the faucet off and looked up again, her yellow eyed reflection stared back. She froze, her grip on the sink tightening. No, that couldn't be real. Someone would have noticed and mentioned it by now. There was no way Hayate ignored that.

_"It's been eight months and you're already trying to replace the dead. Is that why you treat Hayate nicely? So he doesn't turn into another Goro Akechi?" _

"I'm not talking about this with you." This was going to be a very long break.

* * *

Unlocking her own front door never felt this relieving. The entire damn day went from normal paperwork and talking with clients to a delicate balance of paying attention to what was in front of her and keeping her other self complacent. Or at least quiet enough to let her think. It was getting pleasure out of bothering her, she was sure of it. It seemed subdued on the subway ride home, and she wondered if it was as tired as she was. That served it right for the stunt it pulled last night. Makoto got up from her spot on the couch to welcome her back, but Sae hadn't hidden her mood well enough judging by the instant worry on her face.

"Um...you can take a bath first tonight, if you need to," she said. She took the briefcase out of Sae's hands before she could resist, probably to keep her from doing more work now that she was home.

"Thank you, I think I'll do that now." After a moment of hesitation, she patted Makoto's head before disappearing down the hall. Almost as soon as she closed the door, she turned on the bathwater and checked herself in the mirror. Still the same yellow eyes. She'd been catching sight of them in her reflections all day. Would it ever disappear? She heard a quiet laugh, but she made a point to ignore it until she finished rinsing off and was sitting in the tub room, watching the steam rise. Even in water, her eyes were yellow. Why?

_"Still too afraid to ask if she hates you?" _She squeezed her eyes shut and reminded herself not to speak too loudly.

"...I'm not going into that."

_"Why not? You told her that she was a burden on you. Is it true or not?"_

"I was just upset with myself, that had nothing to do with her."

_"More lies. You've always thought that, even if you knew it was wrong. You can't say that you wanted to take care of her four years ago. You had your own life when father died, and then you picked up his too. "It's not fair," you thought. You didn't ask for any of this. Why did he leave you alone?" _She considered slamming her head into something just to get a reprieve.

"What do you want me to say about it? I'm not proud of what I did, but I can't take it back either." She felt a spike of irritation.

_"You're so stubborn and jealous, even if you hide it better now. How long are you going to keep this up? Pretend that everything is okay?"_

"You talk like I'm not trying"-

_"It's been months, how much time do you need? Or are you just hoping that she'll forgive you again because you're the only family she has left? I suppose you don't have to repent from your behavior after all…"_

"It's not like that, I didn't want that to happen…" It was uncomfortably hot in here, and she moved to stand up before the dizziness hit. Or was that all in her head too?

_"You are only prolonging this…"_

"And you're the one that started it."

By the time she returned to the dining room, Makoto was already at the table, though she was typing on her phone instead of eating. Uncharacteristic of her, but Sae was getting used to her acting more like other people her age. This was the least concerning thing Makoto had done in the past year. She stopped texting and put the phone down as soon as she noticed Sae.

"You looked really...out of it, are you sure you're okay?"

"In a few more days, I'll go back to the clinic," she said. "I think I can at least finish this work week."

"...If you say so. Ren's moving back into Leblanc on Saturday, so we were all planning to go over and help," Makoto said. It was clear enough who she meant by "we". The rest of the former Phantom Thieves. She would have tried to shut down something like this before, painting it as a waste of her valuable time. Time she should use for studying.

"If you stay out too late and miss the last train, call me and I'll pick you up." Makoto looked stunned, but then she smiled.

"That's alright, I should be back before eight."

* * *

Though she felt like they were rapidly becoming pointless, Sae kept up with her sleep medication. The nightmare grabbed her again almost as soon as she fell asleep. It was like a video stuck on loop, the same scenes of her life stitched together and replayed. Her Shadow continued to talk to her, though now it was less insulting and more like pleading. Sae didn't recall enough of the words to piece it together. Another mystery left unsolved. She was too tired to even consider figuring out that one.

She tried to go to her kickboxing class after work the next day, but after 20 minutes of watching her train, Kazuma-sensei stopped her and told her to leave. It wasn't in a mean way, but he didn't quite know how to say it gently either.

"Fighting while distracted will lead to mistakes and injuries. I can't allow it. Return when your body and your thoughts are present and _ready_." It was a difficult statement to argue against, and Sae bit back her words and headed back to the locker room to change. It killed her mood to not even be allowed to practice, and she kept to herself at home. Just because she was upset with her own problems didn't mean that Makoto deserved to feel it too. She felt bad enough for being short-tempered with Hayate that morning.

Monday was when she scheduled the follow up appointment with Dr. Takemi, and it was as if a rock settled in her stomach overnight when she realized she had no idea what to tell the woman. What excuse could she come up with to explain the very clear voice in her head? There was nothing to do but not bring it up. All she could mention were the dreams, and she wasn't looking forward to that explanation either. There has to be no Shadows involved, and that's all she could settle on. But...was she supposed to just endure this for the rest of her life? Her nights had been restless even over the weekend. As much as she believed in her own willpower, she'd have to be an idiot to think she could keep going at this rate. She was going to pass out from lack of sleep. Or worse, snap and yell at herself in public. Something had to be done, even if she didn't have any plan for it in mind.

* * *

Takemi Medical Clinic was just as quiet as it had been last week. The waiting room was completely empty, and it was bordering on 5 PM as Takemi typed away at the front desk. She kept the radio on as she worked, this time listening to an American rock band. It did make better background noise that way. Less distracting when she was picking through records and trying to find a solid connection. The word document she'd been keeping her notes and theories on was longer than she thought it would be, but she was making progress now. All the patients that fell under the symptoms the media warned against were in the age ranges of around 16 to early 30s. A handful were older than that, but there were always a few anomalies when it came to these statistics. They started with headaches after restless sleep periods, and grew progressively more lethargic as the weeks went on. Emotions became difficult to manage, with shorter tempers and a sense of fleeting paranoia being the most commonly reported examples. They closed off from others as much as possible, limiting social interactions. It sounded more and more like a mental disorder than a physiological issue, but the way it started was too sudden. Stress couldn't induce such a rapid change in a wide variety of people. They all followed a very similar pattern, so this had to be an outside force-

"Is this...a bad time?" Takemi paused at the voice, derailing her from her hypothesizing. She looked up at the visitor from over the laptop's screen. Niijima stood not far from the entrance, watching her with an expression that could be labeled as concern. Takemi might have found it touching if the other woman didn't look like a corpse trying to hide under a layer of makeup. There was no way to fully pass off the clear dark marks under her eyes and pale complexion. Takemi's jaw clenched for a moment, but she looked away and decided not to call her out yet.

"Nope. You're alright," she said. "Just zoned out, sorry." She closed the computer and stood up. "Let's not waste time. I'm sure you have plenty of things to do already." Takemi was already out in the lobby and unlocking the examination room before Niijima could ask another question. There wasn't much she could do, and it was best to rip that bandage off as fast as possible instead of dragging it out. Takemi perched on her rolling chair, eyes on a set of papers on her clipboard. She had skimmed the notes she'd taken from last week's visit a few times, but they gave her no new information in between the lines.

"Alright so...you look awful." Might as well start with that.

"Excuse you?" Niijima asked, her voice lowering. Takemi steeled herself despite getting the feeling that she'd just set off a guard dog tied to a pole in front of someone's property. Except there wasn't a pole here if things went downhill.

"I can tell that you haven't slept well in the last...three or so days? Maybe more. Don't get offended, it's true." She wrote the observation down more for the sake of following protocol than because it was useful. "Did the medication work? Are you consistently taking it?" She watched Niijima's expression soften, but she didn't make any eye contact. She hadn't done so since they stepped into the exam room, Takemi realized. Very different from the first visit.

"...It was fine for the first couple of days, and then…" she paused.

"And then you were interrupted again?" Takemi asked.

"No, I...woke up at a normal hour, but I was still tired. Like I hadn't slept as long as I thought I did." Takemi stopped her pen movements and stared at Sae. She shifted on the table, and Takemi assumed that she was uncomfortable under her scrutiny. Why was she this nervous?

"...You weren't completely asleep then." Takemi had no idea what happened within the last week, because her current patient was acting like a completely different person. This was less sleep deprived and more like… an addict's behavior. Someone on edge after missing a dose of whatever calmed them down. She really didn't think this fell under coffee withdrawal though. It was borderline unnerving to watch Niijima act like this, and it was just proving that Takemi's original diagnosis was flawed. She needed to rethink her approach. The only things that filled her head right now though were the news reports and her own research. "...My apologies," Takemi said, standing up. She defaulted to polite when she wasn't thinking very hard. She was pretty much on autopilot right now. "But I think I need to check on something before we continue. I'll be back in a few minutes." Just needed some space to work out this problem in peace instead of watching someone fall apart in front of her.

Takemi retrieved her laptop and took it into the very back of the clinic, where she stored all of her physical files, older medical journals, and drugs she hadn't finished yet. At this point, Takemi was fully subscribing to the theory that this wasn't a regular illness at all. How could so many people have the symptoms if it was based on the individual's mind? Something had to be triggering this. She could see the space where the final puzzle piece was missing, but she couldn't figure out what it looked like.

She'd been keeping track of the progression of other patients (which was a slightly gray legal area but for a good cause) and they all began to act how Niijima currently was. Perhaps it was a sign that they were starting to hallucinate? Believing that a demon was stalking you would make most people jumpy. Takemi still wasn't sure how those assaults fit into this, but maintaining the wellbeing of the patient was her duty. Even if she really wanted to untangle this mess on her own. Telling Sae Niijima that she should go to a hospital for her own safety was not going to be an easy task, but Takemi had reached a dead end. She wanted her to be pissed off if that meant that she wasn't the next victim announced on television.

She might have to contact Ren and ask for some information after all. Was this something even related to his "job"? Takemi braced for the inevitable backlash she was about to receive and rejoined Niijima. The exam room was still in one piece, to her hidden relief.

"I'm going to be as straightforward as possible," she said. "You've seen the news reports as of late, right?" Niijima stiffened and kept looking at a poster next to the desk. Takemi continued. "Are you having unexplained visions or hallucinations?"

"...I'm just tired."

"Answer the question, Sae." Takemi made sure to stay as calm as possible. Her patient was now glaring holes into the smooth floor. It was kind of childish, something she saw in pediatric patients that were too wired up to cooperate. They were usually just scared. "How about...I rephrase this? Have you seen anything that you would describe as a demon?"

"No." Oh. That was surprising. Hm…

"Hear anything strange?"

_"No." _And that was a yes, judging by how tense she became.

"Okay, then there's nothing left to do here." Takemi set her clipboard down and stood, hands in her coat pockets. Why couldn't she just cooperate? "I could just keep giving you sleeping pills, and I could even prescribe anxiety medication if I had anything to go on, but if you won't tell me anything substantial to work with, then I suggest you get yourself checked by someone in the emergency room. You could say that we're at an impasse."

"What? I'm not going to the hospital over nightmares!" Takemi watched her freeze up as soon as the words left her mouth, and then she stood without warning, pulling her jacket back on. "This was a mistake, I'll be leaving now. Just...send me what I owe you, and I'll pay for it." Niijima went for the door, and Takemi got out of her chair to grab her arm before she could touch the handle. It was less of a choice and more of a reflex, but she stood her ground.

"Wait, this is serious. You can't just brush this off and go on with your life," Takemi warned her. Niijima turned to face her, and Takemi became very aware of the physical differences between them. There was a deceptively toned arm hidden under the lawyer's blouse, and there was nothing she could actually do to stop her from leaving. "Let someone help you, even if it's not me." They stared at each other in silence. She thought she saw a gleam of something gold in Niijima's eyes, and then she jerked her arm away.

"I don't need anyone's help, including yours. I think I can handle it just fine on my own without you digging around in my personal business. It's like you said, you're not a therapist, right?" She spoke with an unexpected venom lacing her words, like Takemi had personally insulted her. She watched her go, unable to bring herself to say or do anything else. It was only when the clinic door slammed shut that she came out of her stupor and realized that she was trembling slightly. Takemi shoved her hands back into her pockets, her fingers digging into the material. She took a minute to steady her breathing before heading back to her computer.

What the hell was that about? Well...she knew it was probably just a result of whatever this illness was, but that didn't excuse acting like she'd been _meddling_. Niijima had come to her for help in the first place, and then dismissed her credibility when she didn't get the answer she wanted. Takemi wasn't someone obsessed with pride, but she was confident in her own abilities, and being treated like a malfunctioning tool stung more than she thought it would. Lawyers, she thought, were far too used to getting their way for her taste.

"I don't have time for this nonsense…" Takemi mumbled, sitting down at her desk again. She tried to get back to cross referencing cases, but it was difficult when her mind kept going back to that standoff in the exam room. Picking the details apart to examine them in greater details. Did she really think that Sae was going to hurt her? ...No, but there was an undeniable sort of tension building before she voluntarily left, and Takemi was now stuck with the remnants of it, along with her own frustration and worry. She closed her laptop and grabbed her cellphone, contemplating if she should try calling her. Maybe...she could give her a day to cool off and then try to convince her to see another doctor. "You better have gone straight home," Takemi said, setting the phone down. Maybe she should go home early too.

* * *

**AN:** Unexpectedly long chapter, and the next one's going to be longer by the looks of it (unless I really end up editing it down). I hope Takemi's perspective was written well, since a lot of her past isn't really found in the game. This is my attempt to flesh her out beyond her personality in her confidant scenes, since I'd assume she'd act differently around someone she saw as an "equal" and not a teenager.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: I had this done for a while, it just took some editing for me to like it enough to post. I'm also working on some cover art!

* * *

The subway trip and walk to her apartment ended all too quickly, the details blending together. Everything else faded in the background as muscle memory took over her navigation. And yet somehow, while Sae tried to make sense of the growing mess in her head, she stopped at her front door. She frowned at the doorknob, keys still in her pocket. The whole commute back, she'd been thinking about what Dr. Takemi had said. She'd barely cooled down at all in the last hour. It felt like she had too many shots of something that burned as it went down her throat, and now she was stuck with the nausea. Why did she snap at Takemi? Was it the pity in her eyes? Or was it fear of someone else seeing the true Sae? She'd been trapped in the clinic, and she desperately needed to leave before she cracked. The doctor had just been in her way. An obstacle. Admitting defeat in front of Takemi wasn't an option at all. She didn't want to look weak. Now that the adrenaline abandoned her, she just felt sick and guilty. Sae fumbled with her key ring and unlocked the door. Her vision was blurry, and she didn't notice Makoto until someone put a shoulder under her arm to help keep her steady.

"Sis!" Sae winced, her head pounding. Makoto lowered her voice. "...Were you drinking anything?"

"No, I'm not"- Sae paused and fought to keep her eyes open. "I'm not intoxicated..." It was more like she skipped straight to the hangover.

"How about you just…" She was led towards the living room, and Sae's knees gave out when she reached the couch. Makoto helped her to sit correctly instead of collapsing halfway on the floor. The leather felt cold on her skin, better than the uncomfortable warmth she'd been stuck with. "Stay here. I'll get something for you." Makoto turned to a small black and white shape creeping closer. "Can you watch her?" It meowed, and Sae stared at it.

"There's a cat in here."

"Don't worry about Morgana, Sis." Makoto disappeared into the hall, and by the time she returned, Sae had taken off her jacket and curled up on the couch. Everything was less disorienting when she wasn't upright, she found. Morgana was now positioned on the back cushions, blue eyes trained on her with more intensity than she thought they should have. A hand touched her forehead.

"I think you have a fever. Didn't you just come back from"-

"Yes, I...didn't feel like this until I was on the train." She didn't want to talk about Takemi, even as her thoughts rebelled and dredged up images of the doctor anyway. Another thing she couldn't sort out. The fever must've been there since before she boarded the subway. That explained why she'd been so disoriented. She couldn't remember seeing the doorman or the receptionist on her way in either, but they had to have been there. Her head just wasn't in the right place. "Unfortunate timing, that's all."

"You should at least take something for it," Makoto suggested. Sae didn't move in response. "...Or maybe later. You should probably eat before you try any medication." The rest of the words faded into the background as sleep came to her.

She guessed that it wasn't too deep, since her Shadow didn't take the opening to drag her into another unpleasant dream, and she snapped awake in what seemed like only a few minutes. The television was on, and a blanket covered most of her body. An unfamiliar weight was leaning against her torso. It was...purring? She sat up, and Morgana stretched and meowed at her. She forced herself to get out from under the blanket and stood up. The room was still unsteady. She took a second to regain her balance. Morgana called out again. Louder, but not directed at her. Makoto joined them in the living room with a small bottle of what she recognized as flu medicine.

"I bought sushi, but I made miso soup on the side in case you weren't up to it," she said.

_"You called her dead weight before, but now it seems like your roles are reversed…"_ The voice was quiet enough to almost be mistaken as a normal thought. _"How does it feel, relying on someone else to survive? You keep fighting against it, but you're just not strong enough to"-_

"Be quiet…" she said under her breath. Makoto paused, her eyes widening.

"Um...is that a no?"

"Not you, I was"- her breath caught, and her whole body tensed, like an unseen force was trying to hold her in place. She took a step away from Makoto and fell to her knees under the strain.

There was a detectable shift in the air. An ominous heartbeat that came from the entire apartment, in perfect sync with the pain in her skull. Underneath her, a jagged "tear" in the carpet opened up. Red and black liquid spilled out of the unnatural rift, slowly but surely consuming everything it touched. The furniture and appliances, the walls, the ceiling, all absorbed in the otherworldly substance. It was boxing them in.

Morgana yowled and hopped off the couch as it sank into the ooze, landing gracefully on the ground before jumping onto Makoto's shoulder. Makoto backed away from the front door as it was eaten, taking up a defensive stance. Sae still couldn't move, even as she watched the world distort and morph into something else. Her head pounded harder, and the dark substance that covered everything took a clearer shape. The music she hated so much was back.

The two layers of reality fought for dominance, switching from the apartment to the sharp lights and faceless crowds of the casino. But if Makoto was here too, then it couldn't all be an illusion. If this wasn't fake, then what did she just drag them into?

"Sis, don't move, okay?" Why wasn't Makoto afraid, or even intimidated? If anything, she sounded used to this. She looked up, only to find Makoto in what could only be described as a leather outfit from a post apocalypse show. Dark navy and grey, with protective padding on her chest, shoulders, and knees. Spikes and metal boots bolted into place. A long, flowing scarf and an iron slab with eye holes serving as a mask.

"How did you"-

"I promise we'll explain later, just stay close to us!" She didn't even recognize the second voice. It sounded like a young boy, but then a black and white...cat-thing landed in front of her. It looked like a theme park mascot with its big head and small body, and it had a dark cloth mask on and a utility belt. A cat burglar. The yellow bandana reminded her of Morgana's collar, and that's when it all fell into place.

"So this is what the Phantom Thieves look like…" Morgana turned and grinned at her with sharp teeth.

"You really do catch on fast." The casino settled around them, though they were in a makeshift arena instead of a game hall. The floor was carpeted, but the walls were composed of huge gambling machines that created a ring. Above the machines were thousands of seats with "people" watching and jeering. She couldn't pick out the details of each onlooker, but there were enough of them to pack the stands. A giant jury to witness the spectacle. "I'm guessing we're back in your Palace, Niijima. Or at least a remnant of it." He was acting serious, or as serious as a creature like him could be. One of his paws drew a curved sword from his belt, and he turned to Makoto. "Don't drop your guard, Queen. The last colosseum was a gauntlet of unfair fights."

"...And we don't have any backup this time," she responded. A pair of spiked iron knuckles formed in her hands. The voice of Sae's old director boomed over an intercom system. He sounded too happy though, like he'd completely foregone trying to appear professional.

"It's time to place your bets, everyone! The stakes are higher than ever today, with an exciting three on two match!" The announcer paused. "And as always, the losing side will be disposed of without mercy. Win...or Die!" The crowd exploded into thunderous applause, and spotlights were focused on Makoto and Morgana. The cat's ears folded back from the noise.

"Is it just me, or did this place get even _more_ bloodthirsty?" he asked.

"I thought her palace collapsed months ago!" Makoto said. Sae could hear the accusation in her voice. Morgana sputtered.

"Well how was _I_ supposed to know what happened when you let one go away on its own? You said she was better!" The guilt returned, and Sae decided to not interrupt them. This was her fault.

"We can discuss how it happened later." Makoto stopped glaring at Morgana and sounded a little less sure of herself. "If we can escape." _If?_ Did they not know how to return to the real world? Or did they lose that ability? Sae wished she had all the details of how the Metaverse functioned, but those interrogation notes were extremely out of reach right now. There wasn't time to ask them for clarification, as something bigger and far stronger than her pulled her back. She only managed to get a single yell as she was dragged into a side door built in the arena wall.

"_Your place isn't down in the pit." _Her Shadow said. It looked like a rusted, blade and gun covered beast of a woman now, eyes hidden behind a metal visor. Too powerful to fight back against when it picked her up entirely and threw her over a shoulder.

"Sis!" Makoto ran after them, only to be stopped by a burst of red and black energy. She skidded to a halt as a serpentine shape solidified, tall and metallic. Sae caught a glimpse of a bull's head just when the doors shut. She thrashed in her Shadow's grip, but it was having no effect other than bruising herself against its metal armor. It was taking her up a long elevator now, silent and unmoved by her display. Being separated from the only two people with the ability to defend themselves felt like a death sentence, but she didn't see a way to break free.

"Can I at least ask where the hell you're taking me?" Sae asked.

"_To watch,"_ the iron beast rumbled. Leviathan. She wasn't sure how that name came to her, but it felt right. "_And to choose. You are the Ruler here, even if you fail to realize it."_

"Yet here I am, being kidnapped." The shadow made a sound that might pass for a laugh, and then the elevator jerked to a stop. It opened up to a higher area of the arena, reminding her of the seating arrangements an emperor would have in a real colosseum. Or a Judge looking over a courtroom, at the elevated podium. Her Shadow shoved her forward, and she caught herself on the railing in time to watch the events below them.

"The Phantom Thieves' first opponent is here!" the announcer continued. Sae could see the monster from here, a tall, demonic, cow faced thing with jointed arms for its back legs. It snorted bits of flame as it breathed. The demon roared and took a few unnerving steps towards Makoto and Morgana

"It's Moloch," Morgana said. "I'll keep it off you, just focus on taking it down!" Makoto nodded and backed away, drawing a revolver that Sae hadn't seen before. Where did she even get that weapon? It couldn't be real, but Makoto pointed it like it could fire bullets. Morgana sprang forward with all the agility of his normal cat body, dodging the harsh stream of fire the "Moloch" breathed. His sword flashed with the speed of his swing, cutting a small gouge into the monster's flank as he passed by. Moloch's tail whipped around in agitation, following the rest of its lengthy form as it tried to find Morgana. Sae squeezed the railing tighter, watching the cat jump on top of the monster and scramble up it. Moloch bucked its head, eyes glowing a bright pink. It screeched and fired a multicolored beam into the ground, exploding in a wave of force. Makoto braced herself as dust blinded her, and then Morgana emerged from the smoke, high above the Moloch's head. Gunshots rang out as Makoto emptied her clip into the demon to keep it at bay.

"Mercurius!" Morgana called out. A translucent figure appeared beside him, blue and gold with large wings attached to its feet and a scepter in hand. It wore a hood to mask its face, but Sae recognized what it was meant to be. That was a Persona.

Mercurius pointed his staff at Moloch, and a violent wind wrapped around the monster, assaulting it with a razor sharp tornado. The wind speed was strong enough for Sae to protect her face for a few seconds, but the demon cried out in clear pain.

Makoto wasted no time to jump in, ripping the mask off her face in a smooth, practiced motion. A silver motorcycle with a face built into the front appeared, and then it shifted, unfolding into a lithe, more humanoid machine.

"Anat!" Makoto gestured in Moloch's direction, and the transforming robot fired off a spark of blue light. A few seconds later, the spark detonated with a stunning amount of force. It was enough to engulf their opponent in the electric blue explosion. Moloch's outline was barely visible as it writhed and twitched. Morgana landed and rolled to a stop next to Makoto. His accompanying persona faded into nothingness. "Did we finish it?" she asked the cat.

"Hm…" A pair of eyes glowed pink, bright enough to cut through the settling dust, and then another beam of strange light slammed into Makoto. It threw her backwards, dissipating her persona and sending her tumbling a painful distance away. "Nope, still alive!" Morgana ducked another stream of fire as he ran after her.

"Cowards! Come face me!" Moloch bellowed, following after them.

"Makoto!" Was this all she could do? Stand here on this platform and hope they didn't die? Running back to the elevator wasn't an option with Leviathan standing in front of the entrance. Morgana reached her sister and summoned Mercurious again, this time directing the staff on Makoto. She hadn't moved since being hit, and her body crackled with lingering pinks sparks. Her prone form was briefly covered with a soft green light, and she sat up. The tight feeling in Sae's chest lessened. They were fine for now. "What's the point of this, to watch them suffer?" She asked. Leviathan shook its head.

"_I already told you. Make a choice. Continue to act helpless... or take control."_ Sae glanced back at the match. Makoto was on the motorcycle now, driving circles around the demon while Morgana fired at it with a slingshot. They were fast and could dart in and out for a glancing hit, but that couldn't last forever against what seemed like an opponent that was just too durable to fall. "_They might win the first round by sheer attrition, but their opponents will only grow stronger, and eventually they'll falter."_

"You're a sadist."

"_No, what you're witnessing is the court system in motion. They are marked as criminals, and this..."_ Moloch fired a third burst of multicolored light, melting the motorcycle out of existence. Both Phantom Thieves were left injured and stunned, allowing Moloch to close the distance. "_Is justice."_

"No, it's _not_," Sae slammed a fist against the guard rail. It bent. Leviathan went quiet. "They don't deserve this." No one truly deserved this. Sae turned to face Leviathan, staring through her Shadow. "I won't let you kill my sister, or hurt anyone else ever again. Get out of my way."

"_...Prove yourself then."_ Leviathan lost its altered form, becoming a perfect copy of Sae. Only the yellow eyes remained. "_You must earn my cooperation."_ Sae blinked, and her Shadow was gone. The inside of her head exploded. Sae bit the inside of her cheek to stop the scream from ripping out of her throat, and she almost fell to one knee. It was the nightmare's barrage of memories and bottled up emotions all over again, but she was fully awake this time. There was no escape, but that also meant that she was awake enough to push back. The sounds of battle echoed through the arena. They needed a way out, and she was the only one that could find one. That was the least she could do for them. "_Claim my power. Vow to me!"_

"You said that I was the ruler. I make the decisions. _I_ judge what is right or wrong!" Her breathing was ragged, but she stood upright again. There'd be no falling short here.

_"I am thou, thou art I. No longer will our fate be determined by chance." _The voice in her head was different now. Deeper and rougher, but stable. The stabbing waves of pain in her head ceased, and her fingers felt the edge of something attached to her face. Something metal and smooth, reminding her of the visor of a helmet. She got a solid grip and pulled. It hurt badly enough to feel blinding. It was stuck, but it had to come off. She took a deep, steadying breath, and ripped it off in its entirety. "_Let us weigh the sins in their hearts and pass our Judgement!"_

A sound of pure, unfiltered anger escaped her mouth as a column of blue light consumed her. This was the power she wanted.

**"_I am Anubis, Protector of the Scales." _**A presence hovered behind her, a comforting feeling despite its size. It was a few feet taller with skin made of smooth, interlocking dark metal sheets. It possessed the head of a canine with sharp, pointed ears and the markings of a doberman, though stylized as face-paint. The body was humanoid, its armor a mixture of old Egyptian design and harsh spikes. It had headdress of a Pharaoh and a golden necklace that looked like a flattened, spiked dog collar. A cloth with the symbol of an ankh wrapped around its metal skirt, and its hands and feet were covered in scaled gauntlets and solid iron boots. Its entire body shone black and gold, with silver accents. Gripped in both hands was a long staff with a blade at one end. On the other end was a hook and a set of scales. One side glowed gold while the other burned a deep blue color. This was her Persona.

"We're going to tear apart that _thing_ down there," she said. The battle had come to a screeching halt.

"Sis…?" Makoto stared at her with wide eyes, nursing a burn on her arm.

"She had a Persona the whole time?" Morgana had enough life left in him to look pensive. "Another palace anomaly…" Moloch growled and threw himself at the Phantom Thieves, forcing them to split up.

"I don't care how many of you there are, I can take anyone on! You'll all burn!" The crowd had gone silent, but now they were fired up again. It seemed like they didn't care who won as long as it was entertaining.

**"_Jump down, then,"_ **Anubis said. A sane person would have hesitated, but she trusted that this would work out. This had stopped following logic long ago. She was somehow relaxed despite the blood rushing in her ears, like everything had aligned itself. This was probably the best she felt in the last month alone. Sae vaulted over the railing and landed on one of the lower stands, her knees absorbing the impact with no trouble. This made no sense, but as long as it kept working in her favor she'd hold her complaints. Something appeared over her eyes, and she recognized the visor from before. A mask.

**"_Remove it once again, and I will heed your call."_**

Sae watched Moloch rampage around the arena, being peppered with gunshots that failed to slow it down, and then she jumped in front of its path.

"Anubis!" Her mask burned away on its own as she landed. Moloch was forced back by the summoning. Anubis was crouched in front of her, catching Moloch's horns with its staff. The right words came to her, like she was reading a script. "Severing Slash!" The Persona's eyes illuminated gold, and then it cut across the demon's face with its blade. Moloch stumbled further back, shaking its head.

"Nice one!" Morgana said, before Mercurius slammed into Moloch's side. It collapsed onto its side hard. "That'll give us some breathing room. Get her up to speed, Queen!" Morgana went on the offensive, he and Mercurius pinning the demon down with smaller blasts of wind and slashes to its legs.

"Sis!" Makoto rode the motorcycle- _Anat_ over to her. "You're alright! I didn't even realize...I thought that I didn't protect you well enough. I'm sorry I didn't realize that this was going on sooner…"

"It's fine, I was the one that hid it. I'll pull my weight here and then we'll go back home." Younger sisters shouldn't have to look out for their older siblings. She wouldn't let her feel like she failed again.

"You're taking this better than I thought you would…" Anat's engine revved as it created translucent barriers around Sae and Morgana. "I can't go into details here, but I can keep our defenses raised so we won't be so easily stunned. Most Personas and Shadows have weak points, something that will knock them off balance long enough to finish them. We don't know what yours is yet, so please be careful." The worried edge left Makoto's voice as she went into an explanation that Sae suspected wasn't brand new.

"Does this beast even have a weakness? Or is the plan just to keep attacking it until it can't get up?" Sae asked. Her hands balled into fists, and she felt something fit into them. Looking down at herself for the first time, she finally noticed her new, heavily modified outfit. It was like her business suit had crossed over with a costume from the Phoenix Ranger Featherman series, right down to the arrow markings, along with even more spikes along her shoulders. Her heels were sturdier boots, and her white gloved hands were gripping a set of gauntlets with extendable claws. She'd fought with claw weapons years ago, but those were designed for martial arts forms, not true combat. She could tell that these were very capable of hurting someone. The blades glinted like kitchen knives.

"We've beaten one of them before," Makoto said. "It's just that...neither of us have the kind of power it's weak to. Joker could stun it, but we have no way to call for help. We don't even know if someone could find their way here from the real world"- Sae frowned, and then urged Anubis forward. They needed to try something new, so she didn't see the harm in testing herself against it. "Wait, you don't know how to"-

"Divine Judgement!" Anubis tapped the end of its staff against the ground, hard enough for the impact to draw the demon's attention. The scales balanced out, and then tipped to the golden side and flashed a bright white. A wave of holy light slammed into the Moloch, right down its center. Morgana yelped and withdrew from the vicinity of the attack. One of its legs gave out from its injuries, and it struggled to right itself.

"...You guessed correctly." Makoto focused and followed up with another burst of neon magic. The Moloch collapsed into red and black muck and particles.

"We seem to have a new, unscheduled challenger," the announcer said, clear disdain in his tone. "This isn't the match we were advertising, but...the House always wins in the end! Let's have Round 2!"

"Don't let your guard down yet…" Morgana said to them. His Persona diligently repaired the wounds he and Makoto had sustained so far. How were they capable of doing that without speaking? It felt like she needed every ounce of concentration to get Anubis to follow her exact orders, but he and Makoto fought at a much faster pace, with no detectable hesitation. How much practice did they have?

"Say hello to your new opponents!" Two smaller monsters took shape in front of them, though they looked no less intimidating from her position.

"The leopard with the cape and two swords is Ose," Morgana said. Sae watched it draw a long blade and inspect itself in the reflection. "Strong and fast, but weak to the same thing Moloch was...if you can catch him. The one with the wild hair and huge tongue is Rangda. Reflects anything that's not magic right back in your face. The only thing we have to take her down is your spell too."

"No more talking! Only killing!" Ose snarled, lunging at Makoto with a vicious stab. She rolled off the side of her motorcycle, and Anat shifted forms in time to parry the sword with a blade of its own. Sae grit her teeth and called for another Divine Judgement, but the Ose pivoted on his feet and darted off before the light could touch him. Too fast, like Morgana had warned, and Sae could feel herself weakening from repeating her spell. She didn't have the stamina to waste on misses. Having an actual projectile weapon would help… Makoto clipped the Ose with another exploding, followed up by Morgana's cutting gales. The cat thief was forced to jump away as the ground beneath him was consumed by bubbling, black magic that moved like tar. The Rangda cackled in a high pitched voice.

"That attack will take you out in a single hit!" he called. "Don't let it touch you!" Sae started to run in the direction of Ose, making herself a harder target.

**_"Your other weapon."_** A weight settled on her back, and Sae reached over her shoulder to ready a Gatling gun hanging off a strap. A clip was already fed into the chamber. It was heavy when she stopped and tried to aim it, but she had no issues pointing it at Ose while it weaved around Makoto's punches and kicks.

"Behind you!" Sae yelled. She pulled the trigger and had to brace herself against the kickback from the bullet spray. Makoto backed off in time to watch Ose take a direct hit. It caught itself on its swords and growled like the big cat it was mimicking.

"No fair!" She loaded another clip in without a word, to Ose's surprise. "Wait, don't-'' It fell under another spray of gunfire, and she almost turned on the Rangda before remembering that this one was immune.

"One more." She threw the gun over her shoulder, letting the strap catch it. "Anubis, Megidola!" Divine Judgement was too slow, but this one felt much more efficient. Anubis tapped its staff against the ground again, and this time, the scale tipped to the other side and glowed indigo. Raw magic slammed into the demon like gravity had collapsed, smashing it to the floor. The energy drain was large enough for Sae to waver afterward, and Anubis faded.

"We can handle it from here." Makoto stood in front of her while she caught her breath, and Morgana tore through the Rangda with another powerful cyclone. It melted into an unpleasant puddle.

"I think it's finally over," he said, falling on his stomach as Mercurius left. The crowd was too quiet, and when they looked up again, the arena stands were empty. As if no one had ever been there. It was nothing but an exaggerated manifestation of the public's fickle opinion. She was beginning to grasp how this all functioned.

"...Is this normally what happens after the Shadows are driven off?" Sae asked. The spotlights overhead flickered and cut off, leaving the arena in darkness. Makoto placed a hand on her chin.

"No, but whenever we do defeat the palace ruler and take their treasure, the palace tends to"- A low rumbling filled the air, and the ground shook. "It collapses! We need to go!"

"It's locked," Sae said, pressing the elevator button to no effect. "I can't find any other doors, where's the exit?" A giant slot machine tipped over, making a gap in the arena wall.

"There's always a way in or out of a palace, that's just how they're designed!" Morgana said. "C'mon, before we're crushed!" He stood up and tensed before Makoto scooped him up in one hand. "Hey, let me go!"

"I don't think we need the bus, Morgana. There's only three of us." She touched her mask and summoned Anat, idling in front of them. "We can fit into tighter spaces without losing speed this way."

"Oh...I get it!" Morgana hopped on the front of the motorcycle while Makoto took her seat. She shifted a little more forward, and Sae tried not to think about how Personas could be ridden in the first place. A chunk of concrete and steel from the upper colosseum levels hit the ground nearby, and Makoto kicked off the carpeted floor before something worse followed. Sae almost fell off from the shift in momentum. Her hands dug into the metal grooves in the bike's chassis, clinging to the back of it enough to stay upright. Anat charged through the intimidating "hallway" of slot machines. Even more pieces of sharp, jagged metal and heavy stones crashed down behind them, but the bike kept ahead for long enough to reach the other side. It was ironic, riding a motorcycle with her sister like this. The first time, it'd been Sae driving and Makoto squeezing her ribs for dear life. That was years ago, before she left for college. Everything was so different back then.

And then the three of them were driving in darkness. It still felt like there was solid ground beneath the Persona's wheels, but the rest of their surroundings were empty. The music that had been so overbearing a minute ago was rapidly left behind. It felt like they hit a wall of liquid, but as soon as they passed through the weak barrier, they were left free-falling. Anat disappeared, and so did their changed clothes and weapons. The apartment snapped back into place, and the group hit the carpet in an awkward pile. The neighbors might complain about the "roughhousing" above their heads, but other than that, nothing else was out of place.

"...Please tell me it's over." Makoto was already sitting up, and Sae couldn't see any lingering wounds. Did they not carry through to the real world, or were they just not severe enough?

"I think so."

"That was...not what I expected to deal with today," Morgana said. Sae couldn't help but stare at the now completely normal black and white cat...that spoke like a human. Morgana shook himself out and launched himself onto the couch. "You owe me some tuna, Makoto!" Sae blinked and continued to stare.

"Tomorrow, Morgana…" Makoto said, before noticing Sae. "And we need to clear up everything, remember?"

"He really _can_ talk…" Sae mumbled. Morgana's ears perked up.

"Of course I could! Did you think everyone else was just playing a prank?" He hissed at her, and then began licking a paw. "Honestly… Alright, I guess I can start. Niijima, do you remember when we walked you and Boss through how palaces in the Metaverse worked?"

"...The major points of it, yes." Palaces were structures in the Metaverse that were created by people with strong emotional desires attached to certain locations. Hers had been described as a large-scale casino centered around the courthouse building. "The dreams I've been having at night...that was what my Palace looked like?"

"Wait, you've seen it before?" Makoto crossed her arms. "Sis, you should have said something sooner."

"I know, I... didn't want to derail everything else we were busy with. I wasn't sure how serious this was until this week."

"Interesting." Morgana said. "We didn't take your treasure, assuming that your Palace would destroy itself after enough time left undisturbed. Hopefully with much less backlash than our other targets. I think it almost worked, but it stayed around long enough for your Shadow to distort again at some point. I'm not sure what triggered it or why, but I have a feeling it's related to all these incidents reported on the television." Morgana stared out the window, as if he was looking for an answer. "Something's up with the Metaverse, and it's affecting more people than just you. I want to get to the bottom of this."

"I think you'll be fine, now that you have a Persona," Makoto said. "Your Shadow should be under control, and you're protected from the distortions of others."

"The mask and costumes...those are all normal?"

"For the Phantom Thieves, yes. Most of us gained a Persona when threatened in a Palace. Morgana was...special." The cat seemed to take her description with pride, his tail held high.  
"Your Persona is literally your mask, and it will defend you from harm in the Metaverse. The costume is a manifestation of your rebellion from the masses. Using a Persona should all come naturally to you, since it's just an extension of your mind. Don't think too hard about it." Well that explained how she was able to hold her own without instructions.

"We should tell everyone else what happened and figure out what we're going to do next." Makoto pulled out her phone and typed out a message, probably in a group chat.

"Right, that's a good idea." Morgana looked at Sae for a long moment.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

"No, I...didn't believe adults could have Personas, that's all. There's more to learn about them than I realized."

"Well, we never left a target to deal with their own Shadow besides Futaba," Makoto said, not taking her eyes off what she was reading.

"That's true. And to think that I assumed the Metaverse was inaccessible now that the app's gone and both worlds merged. Putting aside the danger, this is an exciting discovery!"

"I think it's something to worry about. Do you think it means anything specific?"

"Um...it could just be a natural consequence of the incorporated Metaverse, but I need to check it out more. See if Mementos survived or not. Maybe I can track down the Velvet Room too."

"Do you think Ren knew about the Metaverse returning?"

While Makoto and Morgana continued to make new theories on the cognitive world, Sae moved to the kitchen. There was enough information for her to absorb without… everything else they were saying. She had her own meeting to organize. Now that the adrenaline was wearing off, the fatigue struck her hard and fast, but she wasn't going to bed without trying to salvage the mess she made hours ago.

She pulled up Dr. Takemi's cell phone number and hesitated. Would she even pick up if she saw it was Sae? She opted for a text. That seemed... less urgent or desperate.

**I know that I can't make up for how I acted today, but I'd like to at least apologize directly. We could meet up somewhere else besides your office if you're willing to.**

She expected to get an answer in a few hours, or maybe even the next morning, but not less than 5 minutes later.

**Dr. Tae Takemi:**

**I'll be at Leblanc tomorrow afternoon after 4. You're paying.**

It was blunt, but not a rejection, and Sae had no issues buying a meal. Did Takemi even hold grudges? A part of her wondered if this was a setup to a more public humiliation. Not that it wouldn't be justified, and Leblanc wasn't exactly _crowded_ at any point of the day, but-

Her phone chimed as a second text message arrived.

**Dr. Tae Takemi:**

**Stop overthinking it. I'll behave myself in front of Sojiro. Can't speak for you though.**

Sae reddened and slipped her phone back into her pocket. There was no way she was responding to that. Takemi could have the last word. She'd find out the truth tomorrow.

"You're going to be really tired after fighting in the Metaverse, but it's only temporary," Morgana said after dinner. It was still a novel experience, holding a conversation with him at the table. "You should recover in a day or so."

"At least I'll be able to sleep this time…" she said under her breath. That'd be a nice reward for surviving a bloodsport hosted in her own subconsciousness. And she still had a court case to open tomorrow.

Whatever plans the Phantom Thieves had to investigate the demon sightings in the news didn't concern her yet. She just had to get through this week first, and then she could contemplate the idea of fighting Shadows again.

* * *

AN: In case anyone was wondering why Sae was able to fight that well...she really wasn't. She just had the right spell at the right time, like how every new party member looks cool in the first fight they join. In normal circumstances, Makoto and Morgana would come off as stronger/more experienced.


	5. Chapter 5

The next day's court hearing was far smoother than she'd been anticipating, no doubt helped by the lack of her subconscious emotions prying into everything. Her and the prosecution's opening statements were made without issue, and even after a week of minimal sleep, she was alert enough to keep up with everyone else. The last thing she needed was a desperate journalist speculating about her private life based off of her staring into space during the hearing.

And her client deserved the best service she could provide, no matter how much was on her plate at the moment. If she had to stay focused with a combination of an energy drink and sheer force of will to get justice for him, then so be it.

After packing up her files and speaking with Hayate, who'd been observing to take his own notes, she drove from the courthouse to Yongen-Jaya. She'd invested in a car a few months ago after realizing that the cost of gas was worth not being stuck with a train or taxi on court dates. That felt too unprofessional for her, and she no longer had a free government car to borrow. It also helped on the rare occasions she left the city, like the short vacation to the hot-springs she'd taken Makoto on. A part of her still missed the motorcycle she used back in college, but that wasn't exactly a fitting mode of transportation for her lifestyle anymore.

By the time she found an open parking spot on the curb, it was close enough to 4 PM. No time to have second thoughts or come up with a better cover story for her actions. Maybe Takemi wouldn't want to ask for the details after last night. ...No, that wasn't fair to her either. She could at least try to be as honest as possible without revealing other people's secrets. Just apologizing was going to be a complicated task.

Cafe Leblanc hadn't changed much at all since she last visited. The bell over the door still chimed when she opened it, and the air was permeated with the smell of crushed coffee beans and spices. Even in daylight, the shaded windows and warm lighting always made the inside feel muted. Like a different world. An escape from the constant movement and noise of the city. All the furniture were shades of brown and red, adding to the atmosphere. The television in the back of the room played a local news channel, something it always tended to be on. A window into "reality".

She found Sojiro Sakura washing plates at the sink. He looked up for a moment to acknowledge her presence and his expression briefly shifted. It'd been a couple of months, but she didn't think seeing her again would be that surprising. If he had something to say about it, he chose to refrain and went back to his work. She gave him a short nod and headed to the one occupied booth. Takemi's dark hair and leather jacket stood out against the softer wooden seats.

"I see you've ordered something already," Sae began, stopping by the table. A cup of coffee and a metal pot had been set up. Takemi turned and watched her for a long moment, her mouth a thin line. Sae waited until the silence started to wear on her nerves before Takemi answered.

"...Yeah, I did. For me . You can sit if you want." Sae complied, even if she wasn't entirely sure where this was going. She figured Takemi was still upset, but why tell her to stay then? "I feel like I can only catch you in the middle of working or just after it. I wonder...do you leave the house in anything but those pantsuits?" Takemi asked, closing the slim laptop she'd been using. It was the same one from her office last night, Sae noted. She had that smile again, the kind that hinted that a game was being played. This wasn't the type of game Sae was used to, and they both knew it.

"I came straight from downtown. There was no need to make you wait even longer just to change clothes." Sae looked back at the laptop. "Aren't you working right now?"

"More of a personal project, actually." Takemi slid the laptop to the side. "Didn't you come here to say something? I hope you're not stalling." Sae Niijima didn't stall for anything, even if the right words weren't coming to her at the moment.

"No, I'm...not sure where to start." Where should she even start after her incident last night? She was still coming to terms with it. Sae dug her fingers into the seat cushion. "I wasn't feeling... myself this week, and I let things spiral out of control, but I've begun to fix those problems." It only took fully acknowledging her problems in the first place to move on properly, but taking one step at a time was alright.

"You do look better today. What a miraculous recovery." Sae's jaw tightened under Takemi's look, but then her lips curled into a smile. Why had she been fighting so hard to stay "professional"? Work was over for the day. She could tell that Anubis was pleased with her perspective shift, or she could at least imagine that it was. One step at a time indeed. She was going to have to get used to its faint presence in her mind.

"I suppose that it is. Some of the...stress is handled now. I hadn't realized how much it still weighed on me until it disappeared." Takemi sat up a little straighter, her eyes drifting down to the coffee pot. Her fingers toyed with the edge of a forgotten newspaper. Something felt off, like Sae had done something that irritated her. Or maybe not…? It was hard to guess what Takemi was really thinking about.

"Oh really? That's good to hear. I was wondering how you made it back home in that state without biting someone else's head off." Ah, there was the sarcasm. Sojiro cleared his throat as he set a second empty cup and saucer down between them. The two women looked up at him as he walked away.

"I'm taking a smoke break. Don't make a mess while I'm gone," he said, pushing his way out the door with a cigarette dangling from his mouth. Sae could have sworn that he was amused, but it was admittedly easier to speak with only Takemi here.

"...I hadn't realized that you were concerned." Sae hadn't thought much at all during the train ride. "But that doesn't excuse what I did to you. I really do want to apologize for how I reacted. None of what I said was called for. I...panicked, for lack of a better term."

"And then you managed to turn your condition around in less than 24 hours? By all accounts, it makes no sense. And yet here you are." Takemi chuckled and sipped from her cup. "Though as a physician, I recommend you don't try to pull a stunt like that again. It's lucky you didn't collapse at the train station."

"I think I fainted when I reached my apartment." Takemi blinked a few times, and then shook her head.

"Just enough adrenaline to make it back, then. You're horribly stubborn when you want to be. I wonder, did you scare your poor sister with that stunt?"

"...I can never tell whether or not you're trying to insult me."

"It's not my fault that you see criticism as an insult." Takemi propped her head up on one arm, watching as Sae's expression fell.

"Alright, then what did you mean by it?"

"There's a time and place for having a hard head. Like when you went through all that effort to save a delinquent kid from an unfair prison sentence."

"That was more complex than"-

"You're overthinking again. My point is...I do find it admirable sometimes. And I forgive you, by the way. Even if you won't tell me what happened to "fix" you." Takemi pushed the coffee post to Sae's side of the table. "You can keep that secret for now, and I suppose I can rescind your caffeine limit." She dropped the idea of pushing for straightforward answers, choosing to pour a cup to distract from her own blush. She was admirable.

"...Thanks." As always, the blend was high quality. The cost of an entire pot was concerning, but she let that slide. "And I would tell you, but I don't think I'm informed enough to explain it correctly. Incomplete information can be misleading." She glanced upstairs, and Takemi's eyes seemed to sparkle.

"So it does have something to do with the Phantom Thieves." Her voice lowered. "Did they steal your heart, and now you're confessing?"

"No, of course not, I"- Sae stopped and took a steadying breath. It hadn't needed to be changed. What happened in her palace last winter was secondhand knowledge to her, but it had been agreed upon to leave her treasure be. "They didn't. I just...changed it myself?"

"That's a new one."

"It's a work in progress, but that's what I chose to do." This conversation was beginning to feel ridiculous, but the truth was often stranger than fiction nowadays. Hearing about what the Phantom Thieves encountered in the Palace turned warped casino had made her all too aware of the person she'd become, along with the collar that society had placed around her neck, but last night felt like she truly escaped that shackle and breathed for the first time in years. Was that why her Shadow and Persona wore a choker? Her attention was momentarily drawn to the one that Takemi wore. Maybe she just liked them, and there was nothing symbolic about it. It'd been a long time since she just…looked at clothing and jewelry without considering how others would judge her.

"I can't deny that you changed something. Let's say that I believe you. And what about the rest of your symptoms?" Takemi asked.

"Nothing's happened since last evening. I was...informed that they shouldn't return either."

"I had a feeling that this wasn't a normal illness. Good to know that my instincts weren't off. Not that I had any doubts once I looked at the data myself." That trace of pride in Takemi's attitude was a rare sight.

"You're quite confident for someone that's not specialized in psychology."

"Well, someone has to be if I plan to get any work done. It's like... making bold statements in the courtroom. No one would trust an attorney that acts like they don't believe in their own case."

"You have a point. As un-indicative of someone's skill as it is, appearances can determine the impression you make on a judge and jury." Sae's cup was half empty already. She would never appreciate coffee more than after the last couple of weeks.

"Guess that sums your attachment to those suits. Reputation. I mean, you wear them well, but doesn't it all feel fake on some level?" Leave it to her to ask a difficult question wrapped around a genuine compliment.

"Sometimes it does feel like a game of sorts, but...it's important to not forget the reason you're participating in the first place." Not to win, but to serve others. That was the purpose of an attorney.

Takemi liked her suits. Why Sae wanted to focus on that fact escaped her knowledge, but it lingered in her head. She swallowed hard and filed it away for later.

"Hm. You said you had a case today, right? What was that about? Or is it meant to be kept quiet?" Takemi poured them both another cup each, barely breaking eye contact.

"It's not a high profile one, but...I was under the impression that most people found nonfictional court drama on the dull side. It's not very captivating."

"I've read a few dry articles and journals in my time. Try me." It wasn't a very conventional challenge, but Sae wasn't going to back down either.

* * *

It was an hour before Sae was forced to excuse herself and leave before the evening traffic hit. Takemi had almost no law experience, but she did know how to ask the right questions and prod someone along to keep them talking. It was partially out of real curiosity. What could possibly take multiple hours to figure out in a courtroom? Were they really just arguing over whether a law was broken or not for that long? Takemi could admit that she had a strange outlook on most subjects though.

Sae also happened to have a commanding quality to her voice that came out when she was invested in the subject. She could read the crossword section of a newspaper and make it sound like vital information. Something about the pitch…

The bell above the front door rang as Sojiro re-entered, clutching a fresh pack of cigarettes.

"Long smoke break you took, huh?" she drawled, finishing the last of her coffee.

"It looked like you wanted to have a long talk," he said as he re-tied his apron. "And you aren't one to talk much. Or invite people here." He gave her a thin smile, and Takemi averted her eyes to gather the paper bills Sae left behind. The lawyer had kept her word and covered the cost.

"I thought you liked to keep out of your customers' business?" she asked.

"What can I say? Those kids rubbed off on me." Sojiro collected the empty cups and rested them in the sink to be washed. "I'm not a gossiping old man yet though." He rang up the coffee, and she paid at the old register by the door. Takemi relaxed a little more.

"Thought you were trying to lecture me on my life choices."

"What you do in your free time has no effect on me. And besides, there's far worse people than her to try to"- Takemi winced.

"I...We're not exactly…" This wasn't the conversation she thought she'd be having. Sojiro caught on fast enough, and he shook his head.

"Ah, you didn't bring it up yet? She's not going to acknowledge what you're trying to do unless you make your intentions obvious," he said. She sighed.

"I know." It was probably for the best if she kept it that way. Harmless, one sided flirting and nice conversations. "I should get going." Takemi turned to leave.

"If it makes you feel any better, I think you have a good shot. Never seen her act like that around anyone else before. Pretty sure she's single-"

"Yes, _thank you_."

"Have a nice night, Doctor," he said as she made her escape.

* * *

**AN**_**:**_This had a whole second half to it, but it was just the Phantom Thieves and I felt like the point of view needed some work to make it feel more consistent, which means I have to go into Ren's headspace and that would probably lengthen the chapter more than I intended. I wanted to give you guys something while I worked on that, so this'll have to do for now.


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: **First chapter with Ren as the narrator. Not sure how often I'll do this, but probably not much. I'm trying to stick with either Sae or Takemi, but that's kind of impossible with some things.

* * *

"So...your sister's really got a Persona, huh?" Ryuji grabbed the last chicken skewer off the group platter and chewed on it thoughtfully. The group of seven teens (and one black and white cat) filled the cheap karaoke room they'd rented for an hour of privacy. Ann queued up a playlist of loud pop songs and let it blare over the speakers as an extra precaution, though Ren wasn't worried. After months of plotting, he learned that most people minded their business and ignored their surroundings as long as you weren't being too suspicious. Keep your head down and your hands in your pockets and you were invisible in the big city. The host downstairs sent up their drinks and snacks minutes ago, but he estimated they'd probably be left alone for the rest of their allowed time.

"I thought they were just for rebels like us. Adults are...you know…" Ryuji scratched the back of his head. "They like having rules. I mean, _some_ of them are cool, but they're tied down by responsibilities and stuff like that." Makoto shifted in her seat, and Ren caught her eye. Right, the details surrounding the situation were pretty personal to her. He squeezed her hand under the table, a small reminder that she didn't have to stay quiet. No one was going to judge her for getting emotional after witnessing the casino firsthand. Her back was a little less rigid, and he took that as a good sign.

"Do you think Boss could have one?" Ann asked.

"Sojiro has that age debuff handicapping his stats already," Futaba said. "There's no way he could keep up with all his cracking joints." Ryuji grinned.

"Yeah, I can't imagine him doing half of what we do. The other world was pretty rough on us. I always felt like taking a nap after we left it." His smile fell. "So... how'd you guys even get to the Metaverse anyway? The app's been gone since we kicked the Holy Grail's ass."

"The barrier between the Metaverse and the physical world is extremely thin now, like I just explained," Morgana said. He winced as a piece of chicken nearly hit him. "Can you eat with your mouth _closed_?"

"Um, is this something that we should be trying to fix, Mona?" Haru held out a piece of leftover fish, and the cat reluctantly walked over to take it from her. She beamed.

"Not that specifically, but I want to know what makes them bleed into each other and how to stop it, if a method exists. So far, we know that Shadows can force the shift...if they're really tough." Morgana sat down next to Haru. Makoto placed her hand on her chin.

"Sis recreated her Palace in a more limited manner, and the rest of our apartment complex was unaffected."

"Yeah, it was more of a...cognitive bubble. A Meta-pocket," Morgana added. "Inside the area was controlled by the Shadow, but everything _outside _seemed normal."

"Maybe without Yaldabaoth, the Metaverse is more resistant to distortions. Large Palaces aren't as sustainable anymore, but I think the "attacks" being reported are actually people witnessing and being hurt by distorted Shadows," she said. "They're not hallucinating, they're just caught between the two worlds and don't understand what they're seeing."

"I hate how that explanation is more comforting to me than a normal gang assaulting people." Ann said, setting down a glass of soda. "Sorry, I just...thought we were done with secret identities and fighting monsters, but I still want to help. How do we stop these Shadows from attacking?" Yusuke flipped through the laminated menu as he thought.

"Would it not be more insightful if we figured out how to cross between the worlds ourselves first?" he suggested. "The problem could be more obvious on the other side of the metaphorical wall."  
"Inari's got a good point, but we still don't have the password to get in. We gotta find the back door on our own this time." Futaba sat on the leather couch with her legs crossed, reading something on her phone. Her laptop was stored in a bag for the moment. "So...if people keep accidentally making Meta-pockets, can't we just make an opening by force? Shouldn't be that hard."

"But we'd need our Personas to match the power of a Shadow, and we can't use them until we're already in the Metaverse." Morgana's tail twitched as he paced on the tabletop. "And I don't know where the Velvet Room is anymore, or I'd ask for help."

"...Are you sure?" Ren asked. The rest of the team turned to him, and he had to take a moment to gather his thoughts. Even months later, they still treated him like a leader, even if he didn't feel like one anymore. He adjusted his glasses and prepared to steer them in some sort of direction. "Are you sure we can't use our Personas? I haven't tried since December. Has anyone else?" Their only responses were confused looks and mumbling. "Alright, then that's one option on the table. We should test it."

"I suppose that's a workable plan," Makoto said. "They're meant to be a part of us, so logically, we should still have them." He could tell that she was already constructing an outline for a plan. Makoto always managed to shape their various ideas into a feasible strategy. That was just how the Phantom Thieves functioned. She only needed to be pushed the right way to get her mind started on the current task. "Where would we conduct our test? It has to be secluded from the public or we'll risk exposure."

"I'd say we could go back to my place, but we might run into the housekeeper…" Ann perked up. "Maybe the park?"

"That's way too open, people are gonna see us through the trees!" Ryuji said. "...The school roof's definitely off limits though."

"The shop!" Haru said, startling Morgana. "I bought the lot in Shinjuku that we were looking at last week. We could meet up there, if that sounds acceptable."

* * *

One train ride later, they all stood outside of a closed cafe building a few blocks down the street from the station . The walls were white and stripped of any decoration, and all the furniture had been removed except for the built-in counters and seating. Haru pulled out a set of keys to unlock the glass door.

"It's not scheduled for renovation yet, so there shouldn't be anyone inside. We'll have some privacy here." She ignored the first light switch as she led them in. Having a light on might make someone want to investigate or assume there was a robbery, now that he thought about it.

"What a spacious shop…though it could use some color," Yusuke said. His mind was already off in his own world, picking out colors.

"I'd love for you to paint them once I select a theme! Maybe a mural…?" Morgana wriggled out of Ren's bag and jumped to the floor.

"Is there a backroom somewhere? We need less windows." Ren picked a door to check first, revealing an even darker area filled with sealed cardboard boxes.

"That's the storage space," Haru said. "Would it be big enough?"

"We can work with it." Morgana darted off into the room, inspecting it as Ren caught up. His former guide seemed to have an idea in mind now. A few seconds later, his hand found the lightswitch. It wasn't a terribly big room, but they could all squeeze in among the clutter if necessary. Not much room to maneuver, though...

"We should probably leave a few people behind, just in case something goes awry," Makoto suggested. "And to watch the front entrance."

"I think I'll stay behind, then." Haru stepped off to the side, letting Ryuji and Ann slip into the room. "If someone interrupts us, I can show proof that we're allowed to be here."

"I will stay as well," Yosuke said. "As protection." Makoto sighed.

"I'll wait here too. It'll be easier to keep people away with at least three of us around." And Haru being found alone with just Yusuke might draw even more attention if the wrong person caught them. Ren still remembered the assumptions people made when he spent time with her.

"Alright, Skull and Panther can come with us!" Morgana called from the other room. "Try navigating for us, Oracle. Joker, I think I'll need your help breaking in."

The Phantom Thieves watched Ren as he stood still, his eyes shut in concentration. They opened, and the entire room came into sharper focus. Unimportant objects darkened while everything else glowed to better catch his attention. That was normal. The odd fractures that seemed to be suspended in the air were not though.

"You were right, there's cracks everywhere, Morgana. And..." His gaze skimmed over the group. "I can see your Personas too." He usually couldn't do that unless they were being called on, but they were very present now, though translucent in form. A little more distracting than simple tarot cards.

"Your Third Eye can scout out Metaverse connections. I wasn't sure if you still possessed it, but that means we've got a chance."

"So what do we do from here?" Ryuji asked.

"We tear a door open!" Morgana grinned, and Ren took a moment to steady himself before making his attempt. It was one thing to suggest he could use his Persona, but there wasn't a mask to tear off here. He just had to wing it. It was best to start with one he was familiar with. The one most aligned with his consciousness. The other Personas could be figured out later.

"Arsene!" Something in his voice shifted as he spoke the name. Arsene said that he could always return to his side. Ren grasped the right connection in the back of his mind and tugged on it. Blue flames ignited the air around him as invisible chains rattled. A deeper, echoing laugh filled the storeroom. A somewhat large presence settled behind Ren, and his Third Eye closed from the strain. Arsene wasn't visible, but everyone could hear and feel him as his wings beat. Ren pointed in a specific direction, and the unseen creature lunged. Sharp, black fingernails ripped through reality itself, creating a jagged, crimson rift about six feet tall. Arsene's existence became more solid as he continued to tear, expanding the rift by prying it open further until it turned into a messy, but functional hole. The light that filtered out of it revealed his entire body, and Ren stood beside him to examine their effort. His clothing shifted into Joker's outfit as soon as he was close enough for the other world's light to touch him.

"_**It is done,"**_ Arsene said, before making his retreat. Joker blinked as his mask reformed.

"I knew it!" Morgana ran over to the new entry point. "This should be big enough for us to get through." His ears flattened. "...I just hope that it closes when we're done."

"Wait, you didn't think about how to seal it until just now?" Makoto shook her head. "What if we just permanently damaged something?"

"Eh, we'll figure it out later. And if Shadows come out, you'll be here to take 'em down. Let's go already!" Ryuji cracked his knuckles and joined them, his own clothing changing as his skull mask fell into place.

"Fine...And you're sure that we won't be stuck in there?" Ann asked, regaining her red leather outfit and panther mask.

"It sounds pretty simple to me. If Joker ripped his way in, he can rip out of there too." Futaba had already taken a seat in front of the portal with her laptop. A pair of heavy goggles rested over her eyes, and she was dressed in her black and green bodysuit. Prometheus formed above her, the darkened metal sphere glowing with multicolored lights. It pulled Oracle into it with a series of mechanical arms, and then sealed shut, a nearly impenetrable fortress.

"_Everything's working in here!"_ Her voice projected in their heads, like they were all using radio headsets. "_Just gotta see if we can reach you from the other side."_

* * *

As Makoto, Haru, and Yusuke left to guard the front entrance, the forward team entered the rift one at a time. They walked out to...the same room as before, except it was silent. Quiet enough to make Ren uncomfortable. Everything was dyed in an unnaturally red glow, and the shadows were pitch black. The atmosphere itself felt heavier. This was definitely not a safe room.

"Did we... do this right?" Ann asked, her voice echoing too much for the size of the room.

"It _feels_ right." Morgana looked as he always did in Palaces and Mementos.

"But this ain't a subway, it's just...the backroom." Ryuji frowned, tightening his grip on the shotgun he carried. "Why's Mementos all different?"

"There's no god controlling it," Ren said. As calm as he sounded, he couldn't help but be excited. No Yaldabaoth here to manipulate everything and feed off the warped desires of humans. This was the true collective consciousness. "Let's look around."

"_I can still hear you!"_ Futaba chimed in. Prometheus hovered in the room, but they hadn't seen Futaba enter behind them.

"How'd you get here?" Ann tapped on the sphere to confirm that it was real.

"_Huh? Dunno what you're talking about. I didn't move."_

"Personas act as a connection between the worlds, so they're visible even if they're not summoned here." Morgana tilted his head. "Or at least that's what I'm guessing. This is the kind of stuff we're trying to figure out."

In the main area of the renovated cafe, everything still looked the same as it had in the physical world. Yet the red light persisted, and the constant noise of the Shinjuku district no longer filtered in through the windows.

"You know, it's weird there's no Shadows around-Woah!" Ryuji almost walked into Ann as the rest of the team froze at the sight before them. "What the hell…?" Three mire Personas crowded around a cafe booth. Anat stood with her arms crossed, her horns a couple of feet shy of scraping the ceiling. Astarte hovered close by, and the two appeared to be talking, though it was difficult to understand what they were saying. It was like trying to decipher another language, the words slipping in one ear and out the other. Kamu Susano-o perched on top of the table with ease despite his bulk and platform sandals, silent as he stared out the large front windows.

"Strange, but...I don't think they'll hurt us. If they even realize we're here, that is," Morgana said. "They're tamed." Ren took that as a sign to test his luck and cut through the lobby first. If anyone could handle the risk of being caught, it was him. Ann bit her lip to keep quiet, and Ryuji's whole body tensed.

He was successful until Anat paused and turned to look at him. Ren stopped and locked eyes with Makoto's Persona without thinking.

"Joker, don't make this a challenge…" Morgana hissed. Ren ignored him, letting the tension leave his body. He breathed in and out in a steady fashion. He'd been there when Anat had "evolved" from Johanna not long after he began dating Makoto. Surely she wouldn't see him as a threat. Or did that not matter to Personas? Was their time apart over the summer enough to affect that connection? They stared at one another for a long, uncomfortable moment, and then it gave him a small nod.

"_**Please be careful of wandering too far."**_ Anat's voice was clear as she warned Ren. A familiar, yet deeper sound than he expected. Kamu Susano-o said something in what could have been a thousand year old Japanese dialect, and Astarte laughed. Anat huffed and revved her engine in response. It was alright, then. That relieved him more than he expected it too. Ren motioned from the rest of the group to follow him out.

"Dude, you push your luck way too far sometimes…" Ryuji said. "I don't wanna get nuked by accident."

"Leave it to Joker to flirt to get out of trouble," Ann teased. "But then again, a lot of girls like the bold, reckless types."

No cars, bicycles, or other vehicles filled the streets. Even the crowds of people from earlier were absent. Instead, featureless dark gray lumps floated a few inches off the ground. A sea of ghost-like creatures that blended together in packs. Upon closer look, a humanoid face could be seen on each one, but other than that, they kept ti a basic shape. The entire city was under a red sun, and while some buildings were off kilter or had minor "errors' like missing windows or floating bricks, it was close to how the real world looked. And unlike the tight, narrow subway tunnels from before, this Mementos stretched on in every direction.

"Well...I don't think we can explore this in a single afternoon," Ren declared, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"It's so big! Mementos really has merged with the physical world. It's like a distorted copy!" Morgana watched as the shades moved around the Phantom Thieves, uninterested in a conflict. "These things are people's Shadows. Yaldabaoth must've been feeding them more power than they normally had, because they're so weak now. Or maybe they get stronger when hostile."

"It probably takes a lot of passion to try and kick someone's ass." Ryuji scratched the back of his head. "I don't see any demons though. Nothing like the news reports."

"_Oh, there's some really tough bosses out here,"_ Futaba chimed in. She sounded distracted. "_They're farther away, but I'm picking up on super strong Shadows. At least I think they're Shadows. I bet if you made a ton of noise, they'd come and check you out."_

"Can you tell what kind of Shadows they are?" Ann asked.

"_Uh….no. Sorry, there's just"- _Futaba paused. "_The more I focus on navigating, the more stuff I pick up on. It's so crowded here! Everything's just turning into noise." _Ren turned back to the cafe.

"We should try a different method, then. I don't want you to overwhelm yourself keeping us safe."

"_No, I can do it! I just need some time to adjust. Me and Prometheus can work around it." _Futaba sounded so sure of herself, and Ren hated not encouraging her. One more try wouldn't hurt anyone.

"Alright, we'll come back tomorrow and pick a better spot. Somewhere quieter."

* * *

They re-entered the cafe and slipped into the back room. The tear in between worlds was still open, and Ren summoned Arsene to close it when they all passed through. His Persona called on a weak curse spell, using the dark flames to seal the tear shut like a welder's torch. "Hm. Not too hard to repair." Their clothes reverted to normal, and Prometheus melted out of existence. Ren adjusted his glasses and tucked his hands in his pockets. Morgana hopped into his bag, sticking his head out as they headed for the lobby.

"Well...It's good we have one more Persona-user, because it's going to take forever to explore Mementos now," Morgana said.

"Hey, so we're really going to...add more people to the group?" Ann couldn't quite make eye contact. Futaba slipped out behind them before Ryuji shut the door, a frown on his face.

"Yeah, I mean I get that it's more backup, but it's still kinda weird. We should vote, right? What kind of stuff can she even do? The rest of us didn't get to see it."

"Fine, then we'll all watch her Persona in action first," Morgana insisted. "We find some weak Shadows and see if she can fight them alone. Maybe we'll make an obstacle course too. Like...like a Phantom Thieves exam."

"Oh, you're back," Yusuke said from the occupied booth. Makoto immediately stood up, as if she'd been particularly anxious for a good sign. She probably was.

"Did anything happen?" she asked, looking at Ren. He shook his head.

"Morgana wants to test your sister in Mementos."

"Excuse me?" That wasn't a good tone. If Morgana wasn't covered in fur, he'd have turned white.

"Not by herself, I promise! We'd be there to watch and make sure nothing goes wrong, of course. We need to see if she'll be helpful to our new mission." Haru tilted her head while Makoto thought it over.

"Oh, do we have a clearer objective now, Mona?"

"We still need to find the cause of what's making demons come out of Mementos, which means we have to explore it more thoroughly. Maybe there's a really strong Shadow agitating things."

"Hey guys," Futaba said. She was back on her laptop, her eyes laser focused on the screen. "About those strong signals I was trying to read. I'm comparing them to other notes I've been keeping and...I think they're Personas. Not the ones Ren makes, but like _ours_."


End file.
